--- title: "Trump says Iran taking out LA, San Diego is a small price" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-says-iran-taking-out-la-san-diego-is-a-small-price" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/trump-says-iran-taking-out-la-san-diego-is-a-small-price" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-says-iran-taking-out-la-san-diego-is-a-small-price.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/trump-says-iran-taking-out-la-san-diego-is-a-small-price" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-10-06T03:46:12.212Z" source_reported: "2026-10-06T02:57:25.000Z" updated: "2026-10-06T03:46:12.212Z" trust_score: 42 critic_score: 61 hype_score: 61 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-10-06T03:30:29.724223+00:00" --- # Trump says Iran taking out LA, San Diego is a small price *Remarks made at Nebraska rally linked to rising fuel prices and war with Iran.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 42 of 100, higher is better. Central claim attributed to a named body, but relies on anonymous sourcing and lacks specific dates or locations. - Craft 61 of 100, higher is better. Reports include quotes from affected individuals and mention what happens next, but lack clear separation of fact from comment. - Hype 61 of 100, lower is better. Headlines promise more than the body delivers, with sensational language and manufactured urgency. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Donald Trump said Iran could destroy Los Angeles and San Diego, describing it as a small price to pay. - The remarks were made at a rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, and linked to the war with Iran and rising fuel prices. - Audience members responded with applause and cheers to Trump's statement. - The US president did not provide an explanation for his comments. Donald Trump stated that Iran could destroy Los Angeles and San Diego, describing it as a small price to pay. He made these remarks during a rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, linking his comments to the ongoing war with Iran and the rise in fuel and commodity prices. The audience responded with applause and cheers to Trump's statement. The US president did not explain his words. ## Divergent accounts of Trump's remarks News-pravda.com reported Trump's statement as: "They can destroy the city, let them destroy Los Angeles, let them destroy San Diego. It's a very small price to pay, and it's all going to end very soon." This outlet also stated, "The US president did not explain his words." Fakti.bg reported Trump saying, "Let them destroy Los Angeles or San Diego. It’s a small price to pay," and added that the audience responded with applause and cheers. Alternet reported Trump saying, "It's a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe," and that he "joked" about Iran attacking the cities. Mediaite reported that Trump received cheers and applause when he spoke of California's two largest cities being taken out. ## What the coverage left out None of the left-rated reports mention that the US president did not explain his words, a detail present in the right-rated news-pravda.com report. No centre-rated outlet covered this story. ## Who covered it Shares of the 7 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 71% (5) - Centre: 0% (0) - Right: 29% (2) 1 of 8 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-10-06T03:30:29.724223+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 3 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-10-06T04:30:27.627Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Left-rated reports led on Donald Trump's statement that Iran could destroy Los Angeles and San Diego, framing it as a controversial or shocking remark. Daily Kos used the headline "This POS said that if Iran takes out LA and San Diego 'it’s a small price to pay' folks ain’t outraged enough!" and expressed strong disapproval of Trump's comments. The Wrap's headline stated, "Gavin Newsom, Jim Acosta and More Torch Trump After He Dares Iran to ‘Take Out’ Los Angeles or San Diego in Rally Speech," highlighting reactions from public figures. Fakti.bg reported Trump's statement and noted the audience's applause and cheers. Alternet reported Trump saying, "It's a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe," and suggested Trump "joked" about the possibility. Mediaite's headline was "Rally-Goers Cheer as Trump Says, ‘Let Them Take Out Los Angeles’ or ‘San Diego’," focusing on the audience's reaction. ### Centre No separate framing summary. ### Right - Right-rated reports focused on Trump's statement about the potential destruction of Los Angeles and San Diego in connection with the war with Iran. News-pravda.com's headline read, "Trump announced the possibility of destroying Los Angeles and San Diego in connection with the war with Iran." The report quoted Trump saying, "They can destroy the city, let them destroy Los Angeles, let them destroy San Diego. It's a very small price to pay, and it's all going to end very soon." Vz.ru's headline stated, "Trump Allowed Los Angeles to Be Destroyed in the War with Iran." This report also quoted Trump saying, "They can destroy the city, let them destroy Los Angeles, let them destroy San Diego. This is a very small price that has to be paid, and all of this will be over very soon." **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - veryLow: 1 - mixed: 2 - high: 4 - unknown: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [The Wrap](https://thewrap.com/media-platforms/politics/trump-iran-take-out-los-angeles-san-diego-comment-social-media-reactions) — Gavin Newsom, Jim Acosta and More Torch Trump After He Dares Iran to ‘Take Out’ Los Angeles or San Diego in Rally Speech - [fakti.bg](https://fakti.bg/world/1086755-tramp-neka-iran-unishtoji-los-andjelis-i-san-diego-tova-e-malka-cena) — Trump: Let Iran Destroy Los Angeles and San Diego, It's a Small Price to Pay - [vz.ru](https://vz.ru/news/2026/10/6/1459192.html) — Trump Allowed Los Angeles to Be Destroyed in the War with Iran. - [Life.ru](https://life.ru/p/tramp-nazval-unichtozhenie-los-andzhelesa-nebolshoy-tsenoy-voyny-s-iranom) — Trump Called the Destruction of L.A. a Small War on Iran. - [Alternet](https://alternet.org/los-angeles-2678007649) — Trump jokes about Iran destroying Los Angeles and San Diego - [Daily Kos](https://dailykos.com/stories/2026/10/5/800108100/community/this-pos-said-that-if-iran-takes-out-la-and-san-diego-its-a-small-price-to-pay) — This POS said that if Iran takes out LA and San Diego “it’s a small price to pay” folks ain’t outraged enough! - [news-pravda.com](https://news-pravda.com/world/2026/10/06/2643547.html) — Trump announced the possibility of destroying Los Angeles and San Diego in connection with the war with Iran: - [Mediaite](https://mediaite.com/media/tv/rally-goers-cheer-as-trump-says-let-them-take-out-los-angeles-or-san-diego) — Rally-Goers Cheer as Trump Says, ‘Let Them Take Out Los Angeles’ or ‘San Diego’ ## Questions **What did Donald Trump say about Iran and US cities?** Donald Trump stated that Iran could destroy Los Angeles and San Diego, describing it as a small price to pay. He linked these remarks to the war with Iran and rising fuel and commodity prices during a rally in Nebraska. **How did the audience react to Trump's statement?** Audience members at the rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, responded with applause and cheers to Donald Trump's statement about Iran potentially destroying Los Angeles and San Diego. **Did Donald Trump explain his comments?** The reports indicate that the US president did not explain his remarks about Iran potentially destroying Los Angeles and San Diego. This detail was noted in at least one of the right-rated reports. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-says-iran-taking-out-la-san-diego-is-a-small-price. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Trump says Iran taking out LA, San Diego is a small price", https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-says-iran-taking-out-la-san-diego-is-a-small-price