Oct. 6, 2026
Trump Has Pissed Off California: “Let ‘Em Take Out Los Angeles. Let ‘Em Take Out San Diego”
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RSS Feed President Trump was defending the war with Iran and the resulting higher gas and energy prices with a poorly worded comment that seemed to suggest he’d be fine with Iran taking out Los Angeles and San Diego. Trump was trying to say that the higher prices Americans are paying are a small price to pay, rather than having Iran take out an American city. The problem was, the way he stated it sounded like he was inciting Iran to take them out and that has elicited several strongly worded reactions from mayors, and the California governor, saying Trump actively threatened and encouraged attacks on American lives.
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00:00:02
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks.
00:00:02
Speaker 2: It is Tuesday, October 6th, and, well, we kind of got accustomed to hearing the president talk about wiping out civilizations, wiping out all the people of Iran. Well, he is taking some heat now for a suggestion that Iran take out a couple of U.S. cities, and, well, maybe he'd be okay with that. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ, where we are going to, first of all, try to get robots. To get the volume under control. Wow, still going. Still doesn't have it. Still happening.
00:00:37
Speaker 1: It is still not.
00:00:37
Speaker 2: Okay, yeah, hello again, folks. I am so sorry. Couldn't get it for life to save Jesus from the cross. You could not stop the volume from going off. But anyway, TJ here, Robes over there. Robes, this was the talk of the morning, the trending talk of the morning. And look, the headlines, if you see them, say that the president, suggested that Iran take out L.A. and San Diego, and he was okay with that.
00:01:03
Speaker 1: Yes, and I can see if you take some of what he said and just played it, it sounds terrible. It sounds like he is almost inciting Iran. Let him do it. Let him basically take out L.A. Let him take out San Diego. You take those two lines and you play them... You're going to have mobs in the street, a storm in the castle, a storm in the Capitol or the White House.
00:01:31
Speaker 2: So, yes, we did hear from folks who are used to criticizing the president. Gavin Newsom, Karen Bass, the L.A. mayor, and also the San Diego mayor chimed in. Robes, you just said how bad it sounds. Upon first listen, what was your reaction? When you heard the clip the first time, what was your reaction? And we're going to play it for you, folks.
00:01:51
Speaker 1: It sounds awful. And it sounds like he is not, it's almost as if he's. initially that he is almost inciting Iran or daring Iran, I guess that's the word I was looking for, daring Iran to do this and explaining to the folks there in Nebraska at this political rally the power that Iran could have or could have had. It was a defense of the war. It was a defense of the higher prices we're seeing from the war.
00:02:23
Speaker 2: I'm just saying your first reaction, were you outraged? Did you go, oh my God, I can't believe he said that?
00:02:27
Speaker 1: I just thought he poorly worded something that was going to cause a huge amount of reaction.
00:02:34
Speaker 2: Okay. Do you think the reaction has been fair and accurate?
00:02:38
Speaker 1: No, because I think those folks are smart enough to know what he was trying to say, that he said it badly, and they understand that he wasn't actually suggesting that Iran should wipe out or take out major American cities. I think they know this intellectually and but they also know that they can use his own words against him, which is something he frequently does to other people.
00:03:01
Speaker 2: There we go. I do, Robes, I'm with you. I find it to be disingenuous. At the same time, we also understand why he doesn't get the benefit of the doubt. And at the same time, we understand political tactics. Sometimes folks think they have an opportunity. My problem, though, here is, Robes, it's inciting people unnecessarily. And it's getting people worked up unnecessarily by people who are supposed to be opposed to Trump and say they are supposed to be the cooler heads. They are supposed to not do these things, right, that they accuse the president of doing all the time. Robes, it's rare that the president says something and we defend it or try to explain it or try to interpret it. Robes, this is one, the debate and the fight just seems so disingenuous today. And maybe it takes a little moment to listen to it a second time. He was so inarticulate the way he said it. Of course. But Robes, to grab this now. And say, ooh, look at what the president did. I don't think that's fair either.
00:04:00
Speaker 1: Exactly. I will give folks the benefit of the doubt that when you first hear it, you might feel rage or you might feel enraged. But then when you actually start to hear what he was trying to say and what he was actually referencing, you can say, all right, he just worded that terribly. And maybe I even will say, I will give folks who are upset in California this. I do think for him to have chosen... Los Angeles and San Diego as the two examples of the cities Iran could have taken out had they been allowed to continue to build their nuclear arsenal. I think choosing those specific cities might have been, yes, in fact- a choice of his, because these are two Democratic-leaning cities, two cities that clearly do not vote for en masse or generally support the president. So he did choose two cities that would be considered adversarial to his policies, normally speaking.
00:04:58
Speaker 2: And that's why he won't get the benefit of the doubt. That's why, Robes, he has done and said a bunch of outlandish things before. That you hear that, you know what, we always say, that reads.
00:05:12
Speaker 3: Right.
00:05:12
Speaker 2: If you see a headline that said the president said this, you wouldn't go, no way. Or we should look into this further. You would just go look at the headline and go, yeah, that reads.
00:05:21
Speaker 1: Yes.
00:05:21
Speaker 2: And move on.
00:05:22
Speaker 1: Yes. But if he had said I'm just curious if he had said if he had suggested that Iran could have taken out Atlanta, Georgia, or I'm trying to think like Wilmington, North Carolina, or something that you've Nashville, Tennessee, something where he knows he's got a bunch of folks who support him and who vote for him. how would that have felt? It would have landed differently.
00:05:48
Speaker 2: You're probably right. And nobody's thinking in looking at these headlines about previous reporting. You remember, oh my God, was it? Yeah, of course it was this year, since the war, where there was reporting something about Iran having something off the coast of California or targeting California, like even thinking about, okay, maybe that was on his mind. It takes too much, Robes, for us to piece together to try to explain what he was talking about because we're used to him getting up on stage like he was last night and kind of popping off at the mouth. He was just winging it, Robes, and something like that in such an inarticulate way comes out. And now everybody, wait, did he just say, and now we're trying to interpret And this is one, it's hard to find anything that he said so that I go, wait a minute, hear him out. This is one where I just feel like it's been taken and run with. You know what, share the quote. We're going to let you hear what he said. But first here, these are the words, at least the quote that he said that got everybody going.
00:06:58
Speaker 1: And he's talking about the economy, right? He's talking about the higher prices at the pump. He's talking about all of the things people are complaining about that have come because of the war with Iran. So he says, with the war, it's just artificial. It's a little bit high. It's a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, for keeping our country safe. They could take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay and it's going to be over very soon. It's essentially almost over with. May I suggest he chose Los Angeles and San Diego because in his mind, he's thinking these are the type of people, these are the residents who are bitching about my war, who are complaining about their gas prices, who are complaining about the war. And so how would they like it if I hadn't started this war because they could have been under threat had I not?
00:07:57
Speaker 2: I think that's a better explanation. I think that makes perfect sense. And again, if you just go through his actual words here, this is a very small price to pay. He's not saying losing L.A. and San Diego are a very small price to pay. He was talking about the price at the pump right now is a small price to pay for keeping the world safe. Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass are smart people. They've done this thing. That part, babe, to incite, and both sides do it. If they made a mistake... But I think they see an opportunity here.
00:08:33
Speaker 1: Absolutely. I agree with you. So just as I do believe... And look, President Trump has... To take some ownership in the vitriol, in the rhetoric, because he pits cities against one another. He pits the North and the South. He pits the West Coast and the East Coast. He pits people against each other for political advantage, period. And so, yes, now the other side is playing the same game, but that's the problem. At some point, who gets to... who chooses to rise above it and say, how wonderful would it have been if you actually had Gavin Newsom or the mayor, and we've spoken to Karen Bass, we like Karen Bass, the mayor of San Diego, to say, hey, I understand why this is very difficult to hear and it feels like we should react, but here's actually what we believe he was saying. What if they actually provided the perspective that, to their constituents and said, I know it might be easy to take this bait, but let's look at what he really said.
00:09:43
Speaker 2: That's a good line.
00:09:44
Speaker 1: And that would have been so remarkable to have seen at least someone actually choose to be a leader and act in the best interest of the constituents rather than firing people up and playing into this political game.
00:09:58
Speaker 2: I think they have to meet his fire with their own. And even some of their responses that we're about to share here with you, Rob, some of them had a tone that we're like, come on, that's not you. That's not how you talk, Mayor Bass. Gavin Newsom always trying to throw something in there and be cute online. That's not how you do this. But, Robes, we need some adult finally. Right now, popping in my mind, Michelle Obama's line. When they go low, we go high. When Trump goes low, people are meeting him there now.
00:10:31
Speaker 1: Absolutely they are. Everybody is.
00:10:33
Speaker 2: Yet somebody, please, be the adult here to say something kind about your city, to say something kind about L.A. to say, wow, just anything could have been done here. But yes, and again, we are going to let you hear his own words. We're going to play the sound from President Trump with the whole context in his voice and see what you think about it. But we're going to share at least first Gavin Newsom. He had a couple of responses. One, Rose, was an official one from his press office. And another one, he put this out on Twitter, quote, after sending the National Guard and Marines to occupy California, Donald Trump is now saying our foreign enemies should take out Los Angeles and San Diego. He is deranged and dangerous. That was his personal account.
00:11:15
Speaker 1: Right. And then the California governor press release said this. Let's be clear. The president is advocating for an attack on 10 plus million U.S. residents in two of America's largest cities. This is not normal. None of this is. And we will continue to remind folks of that every day.
00:11:35
Speaker 2: Just that's that's tough, baby. Let's say that. The president is advocating for an attack on 10 million Americans.
00:11:42
Speaker 1: He was not.
00:11:43
Speaker 2: He just wasn't, babe.
00:11:44
Speaker 1: He wasn't.
00:11:45
Speaker 2: Again, what do we say, babe? He has changed the tone. He has changed the tactics. He has changed how people talk to each other. He has changed how people insult each other and what's okay. And what did he do? He has changed how you deal in politics to a certain degree here, Robes. Just say whatever. Let me just say it. That's exactly what they say he does so often. Just made something up. So Karen Bass, ah, that's, come on.
00:12:11
Speaker 1: I know. She said, keep L.A. out of your damn mouth.
00:12:17
Speaker 2: Ooh. Just that kind of feigning tough talk. Is that what we need?
00:12:24
Speaker 1: No.
00:12:24
Speaker 2: Who's the real badass? Keep out of your damn mouth.
00:12:27
Speaker 1: It's like Will Smith. That's all I can think of. Keep my wife's name out of your damn mouth. That's all I can think of.
00:12:33
Speaker 2: And now I have somebody putting together an AI image of Karen Bass walking up to a stage and slapping Trump like at the Oscars.
00:12:40
Speaker 1: That's exactly what I'm thinking, 100%. And then the L.A. mayor office put out an official statement saying the president of the United States suggested that a foreign government attack Los Angeles.
00:12:52
Speaker 2: Okay. Okay.
00:13:14
Speaker 1: And that San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria added this, San Diego is not collateral damage. We are not expendable, and we are never a small price to pay. Keep our city out of your reckless war talk. The president did not say that residents of Los Angeles and San Diego were a small price to pay.
00:13:37
Speaker 2: I get it, and I get why. We get why this is happening. They see an opportunity, right, Robes, to go viral almost, and then look what the president said, and you... Challenge him on that. I get it. But it's just this disingenuous this time around. I don't like that. Here we are. This might be the first time we've ever done an episode about something the president said. And we followed it by saying, we think you got it all wrong. Robes, he's very direct. When he said he wants to take out a civilization, we didn't hop on here and say, well, what he really means.
00:14:12
Speaker 1: No, he said what he said.
00:14:13
Speaker 2: He said what he said. And this is just one. He did leave it for interpretation, Robes. Given he does not get the benefit of the doubt, I get it. But more so than anything, I just think it's disingenuous.
00:14:24
Speaker 1: He fumbled.
00:14:24
Speaker 2: He didn't attack. Very badly. Very badly. But we're going to let you hear it for yourself. Yes, we're going to have kind of the beginning of it and the end of it in a... Hopefully it gives a little more context. And I think his tone, even, Robes, was important. So stay here. We're going to play for you in just a moment. President Trump's quote that's got everybody upset.
00:14:57
Speaker 1: Welcome back, everyone, to Amy and TJ. We're talking about what pretty much everyone is talking about, what the president said last night during a political rally in Nebraska, where if you just read the headlines, it appears, or people are certainly looking at it through the lens, that President Trump encouraged Democrats maybe even incited Iran to take out the city of Los Angeles and to take out the city of San Diego because that would be a small price to pay. That's not what he actually said. So we're going to let you hear him in his own words. And again, he fumbled through this, what he said to a crowd in Nebraska on Monday evening.
00:15:43
Speaker 3: We want to make it as Kamala would say. Did you hear her the other day, Kamala? She said, we have to make the election too big to rig.
00:15:51
Speaker 1: Oh, that was.
00:15:52
Speaker 3: She stole my line. She got killed even by the Democrats on that one. Can you imagine Kamala? She's about two years late. She said, we have to... Did you hear that? She said, we have to make the election too big to rig. I said, I can't believe she... She stole my line. She stole a lot of things that didn't work out too well.
00:16:12
Speaker 2: But I want... I.
00:16:16
Speaker 1: Want to see....
00:16:20
Speaker 3: I want to see a tremendous victory. You want to see a tremendous victory because it verifies all the things we did. And again, remember, with the war, it's just artificial. It's a little bit high. It's a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe. They can take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay, and it's going to be over very soon. It's essentially almost over with. And they might keep going a little long. They always say they have a big threshold for pain. They need it, let me tell you.
00:16:55
Speaker 1: They need it. So I think the laughter from the crowd did not help.
00:17:00
Speaker 2: Didn't help. They misunderstood it too, didn't they?
00:17:02
Speaker 1: I think they were laughing at the idea of all those liberals who are against the war actually becoming victims of it. And I do think that's part of what is feeding this reaction and overreaction by some officials because, yes, our country is divided. And I think just listening to that crowd in Nebraska laugh is a part of the problem.
00:17:30
Speaker 2: Yeah, it was. Again, even if you see him, he's very animated in how he's delivering it and he's kind of in his classic Trump gesturing. And he's not looking at a teleprompter. He's just winging it in front of a, And on home turf. So he was very loose.
00:17:47
Speaker 1: And it's hard to understand what he's saying. With the war, it's just artificial. It's a little bit high. You can't really make out those words. And it doesn't even make sense what he's referencing. We can understand that he is referencing gas prices. He's referencing the pain at the pump.
00:18:06
Speaker 2: Yeah, and he made that reference several minutes earlier. It's just taking him a while to land his planes. So the clips that are online are about 40 seconds showing this piece, babe. You never hear. You don't even have the context. You don't even know he's talking about gas prices at the time. But we know he was. So I get it. And there will still be people, right, Robes, who will say, no, you guys are crazy. What he was saying was, I just thinkâ The leaders are firing people up when I know, baby, that they know better.
00:18:37
Speaker 1: Yes. And look, he made a mistake absolutely by being flippant about something like that. You don't. You don't make flippant remarks about wiping out American cities. I know he's trying to bolster the reasoning behind going to war in the first place, that this was what he believed Iran's capabilities would be, could be, or maybe, as he pointed out, were at the time. But it's still very flippant. You don't just throw around cities being decimated in our country, Americans dying, and that he's trying to say he prevented that. because they had the capability of it, but it came off very much so. It came off offensively. It certainly did.
00:19:19
Speaker 2: And, of course, to those cities who already are not necessarily big fans of this guy, to hear their city's name come out of his mouth, they're chomping at the bit to go after him.
00:19:30
Speaker 1: And he gave them the bait, and they took it.
00:19:36
Speaker 2: And now other politicians are giving the bait and others are taking it as well.
00:19:43
Speaker 1: Yes, it continues. Unfortunately, the way we talk to each other and the way we try and get people to vote. and especially with midterms now looming, this is all, this is going to reach a fever pitch. This is pretty much all we're going to be hearing about today, most likely.
00:19:59
Speaker 2: With that, if there's more, and as of this recording at least, there was not an update from the White House or the President. No response as of this recording. There, we can expect one Probably going to be asked about it at the White House as well. But when that happens, we will hop back on. We always appreciate you spending time with us. From my dear Amy Robach, I'm TJ Holmes. Stay classy, San Diego.
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks.
00:00:02
Speaker 2: It is Tuesday, October 6th, and, well, we kind of got accustomed to hearing the president talk about wiping out civilizations, wiping out all the people of Iran. Well, he is taking some heat now for a suggestion that Iran take out a couple of U.S. cities, and, well, maybe he'd be okay with that. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ, where we are going to, first of all, try to get robots. To get the volume under control. Wow, still going. Still doesn't have it. Still happening.
00:00:37
Speaker 1: It is still not.
00:00:37
Speaker 2: Okay, yeah, hello again, folks. I am so sorry. Couldn't get it for life to save Jesus from the cross. You could not stop the volume from going off. But anyway, TJ here, Robes over there. Robes, this was the talk of the morning, the trending talk of the morning. And look, the headlines, if you see them, say that the president, suggested that Iran take out L.A. and San Diego, and he was okay with that.
00:01:03
Speaker 1: Yes, and I can see if you take some of what he said and just played it, it sounds terrible. It sounds like he is almost inciting Iran. Let him do it. Let him basically take out L.A. Let him take out San Diego. You take those two lines and you play them... You're going to have mobs in the street, a storm in the castle, a storm in the Capitol or the White House.
00:01:31
Speaker 2: So, yes, we did hear from folks who are used to criticizing the president. Gavin Newsom, Karen Bass, the L.A. mayor, and also the San Diego mayor chimed in. Robes, you just said how bad it sounds. Upon first listen, what was your reaction? When you heard the clip the first time, what was your reaction? And we're going to play it for you, folks.
00:01:51
Speaker 1: It sounds awful. And it sounds like he is not, it's almost as if he's. initially that he is almost inciting Iran or daring Iran, I guess that's the word I was looking for, daring Iran to do this and explaining to the folks there in Nebraska at this political rally the power that Iran could have or could have had. It was a defense of the war. It was a defense of the higher prices we're seeing from the war.
00:02:23
Speaker 2: I'm just saying your first reaction, were you outraged? Did you go, oh my God, I can't believe he said that?
00:02:27
Speaker 1: I just thought he poorly worded something that was going to cause a huge amount of reaction.
00:02:34
Speaker 2: Okay. Do you think the reaction has been fair and accurate?
00:02:38
Speaker 1: No, because I think those folks are smart enough to know what he was trying to say, that he said it badly, and they understand that he wasn't actually suggesting that Iran should wipe out or take out major American cities. I think they know this intellectually and but they also know that they can use his own words against him, which is something he frequently does to other people.
00:03:01
Speaker 2: There we go. I do, Robes, I'm with you. I find it to be disingenuous. At the same time, we also understand why he doesn't get the benefit of the doubt. And at the same time, we understand political tactics. Sometimes folks think they have an opportunity. My problem, though, here is, Robes, it's inciting people unnecessarily. And it's getting people worked up unnecessarily by people who are supposed to be opposed to Trump and say they are supposed to be the cooler heads. They are supposed to not do these things, right, that they accuse the president of doing all the time. Robes, it's rare that the president says something and we defend it or try to explain it or try to interpret it. Robes, this is one, the debate and the fight just seems so disingenuous today. And maybe it takes a little moment to listen to it a second time. He was so inarticulate the way he said it. Of course. But Robes, to grab this now. And say, ooh, look at what the president did. I don't think that's fair either.
00:04:00
Speaker 1: Exactly. I will give folks the benefit of the doubt that when you first hear it, you might feel rage or you might feel enraged. But then when you actually start to hear what he was trying to say and what he was actually referencing, you can say, all right, he just worded that terribly. And maybe I even will say, I will give folks who are upset in California this. I do think for him to have chosen... Los Angeles and San Diego as the two examples of the cities Iran could have taken out had they been allowed to continue to build their nuclear arsenal. I think choosing those specific cities might have been, yes, in fact- a choice of his, because these are two Democratic-leaning cities, two cities that clearly do not vote for en masse or generally support the president. So he did choose two cities that would be considered adversarial to his policies, normally speaking.
00:04:58
Speaker 2: And that's why he won't get the benefit of the doubt. That's why, Robes, he has done and said a bunch of outlandish things before. That you hear that, you know what, we always say, that reads.
00:05:12
Speaker 3: Right.
00:05:12
Speaker 2: If you see a headline that said the president said this, you wouldn't go, no way. Or we should look into this further. You would just go look at the headline and go, yeah, that reads.
00:05:21
Speaker 1: Yes.
00:05:21
Speaker 2: And move on.
00:05:22
Speaker 1: Yes. But if he had said I'm just curious if he had said if he had suggested that Iran could have taken out Atlanta, Georgia, or I'm trying to think like Wilmington, North Carolina, or something that you've Nashville, Tennessee, something where he knows he's got a bunch of folks who support him and who vote for him. how would that have felt? It would have landed differently.
00:05:48
Speaker 2: You're probably right. And nobody's thinking in looking at these headlines about previous reporting. You remember, oh my God, was it? Yeah, of course it was this year, since the war, where there was reporting something about Iran having something off the coast of California or targeting California, like even thinking about, okay, maybe that was on his mind. It takes too much, Robes, for us to piece together to try to explain what he was talking about because we're used to him getting up on stage like he was last night and kind of popping off at the mouth. He was just winging it, Robes, and something like that in such an inarticulate way comes out. And now everybody, wait, did he just say, and now we're trying to interpret And this is one, it's hard to find anything that he said so that I go, wait a minute, hear him out. This is one where I just feel like it's been taken and run with. You know what, share the quote. We're going to let you hear what he said. But first here, these are the words, at least the quote that he said that got everybody going.
00:06:58
Speaker 1: And he's talking about the economy, right? He's talking about the higher prices at the pump. He's talking about all of the things people are complaining about that have come because of the war with Iran. So he says, with the war, it's just artificial. It's a little bit high. It's a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, for keeping our country safe. They could take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay and it's going to be over very soon. It's essentially almost over with. May I suggest he chose Los Angeles and San Diego because in his mind, he's thinking these are the type of people, these are the residents who are bitching about my war, who are complaining about their gas prices, who are complaining about the war. And so how would they like it if I hadn't started this war because they could have been under threat had I not?
00:07:57
Speaker 2: I think that's a better explanation. I think that makes perfect sense. And again, if you just go through his actual words here, this is a very small price to pay. He's not saying losing L.A. and San Diego are a very small price to pay. He was talking about the price at the pump right now is a small price to pay for keeping the world safe. Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass are smart people. They've done this thing. That part, babe, to incite, and both sides do it. If they made a mistake... But I think they see an opportunity here.
00:08:33
Speaker 1: Absolutely. I agree with you. So just as I do believe... And look, President Trump has... To take some ownership in the vitriol, in the rhetoric, because he pits cities against one another. He pits the North and the South. He pits the West Coast and the East Coast. He pits people against each other for political advantage, period. And so, yes, now the other side is playing the same game, but that's the problem. At some point, who gets to... who chooses to rise above it and say, how wonderful would it have been if you actually had Gavin Newsom or the mayor, and we've spoken to Karen Bass, we like Karen Bass, the mayor of San Diego, to say, hey, I understand why this is very difficult to hear and it feels like we should react, but here's actually what we believe he was saying. What if they actually provided the perspective that, to their constituents and said, I know it might be easy to take this bait, but let's look at what he really said.
00:09:43
Speaker 2: That's a good line.
00:09:44
Speaker 1: And that would have been so remarkable to have seen at least someone actually choose to be a leader and act in the best interest of the constituents rather than firing people up and playing into this political game.
00:09:58
Speaker 2: I think they have to meet his fire with their own. And even some of their responses that we're about to share here with you, Rob, some of them had a tone that we're like, come on, that's not you. That's not how you talk, Mayor Bass. Gavin Newsom always trying to throw something in there and be cute online. That's not how you do this. But, Robes, we need some adult finally. Right now, popping in my mind, Michelle Obama's line. When they go low, we go high. When Trump goes low, people are meeting him there now.
00:10:31
Speaker 1: Absolutely they are. Everybody is.
00:10:33
Speaker 2: Yet somebody, please, be the adult here to say something kind about your city, to say something kind about L.A. to say, wow, just anything could have been done here. But yes, and again, we are going to let you hear his own words. We're going to play the sound from President Trump with the whole context in his voice and see what you think about it. But we're going to share at least first Gavin Newsom. He had a couple of responses. One, Rose, was an official one from his press office. And another one, he put this out on Twitter, quote, after sending the National Guard and Marines to occupy California, Donald Trump is now saying our foreign enemies should take out Los Angeles and San Diego. He is deranged and dangerous. That was his personal account.
00:11:15
Speaker 1: Right. And then the California governor press release said this. Let's be clear. The president is advocating for an attack on 10 plus million U.S. residents in two of America's largest cities. This is not normal. None of this is. And we will continue to remind folks of that every day.
00:11:35
Speaker 2: Just that's that's tough, baby. Let's say that. The president is advocating for an attack on 10 million Americans.
00:11:42
Speaker 1: He was not.
00:11:43
Speaker 2: He just wasn't, babe.
00:11:44
Speaker 1: He wasn't.
00:11:45
Speaker 2: Again, what do we say, babe? He has changed the tone. He has changed the tactics. He has changed how people talk to each other. He has changed how people insult each other and what's okay. And what did he do? He has changed how you deal in politics to a certain degree here, Robes. Just say whatever. Let me just say it. That's exactly what they say he does so often. Just made something up. So Karen Bass, ah, that's, come on.
00:12:11
Speaker 1: I know. She said, keep L.A. out of your damn mouth.
00:12:17
Speaker 2: Ooh. Just that kind of feigning tough talk. Is that what we need?
00:12:24
Speaker 1: No.
00:12:24
Speaker 2: Who's the real badass? Keep out of your damn mouth.
00:12:27
Speaker 1: It's like Will Smith. That's all I can think of. Keep my wife's name out of your damn mouth. That's all I can think of.
00:12:33
Speaker 2: And now I have somebody putting together an AI image of Karen Bass walking up to a stage and slapping Trump like at the Oscars.
00:12:40
Speaker 1: That's exactly what I'm thinking, 100%. And then the L.A. mayor office put out an official statement saying the president of the United States suggested that a foreign government attack Los Angeles.
00:12:52
Speaker 2: Okay. Okay.
00:13:14
Speaker 1: And that San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria added this, San Diego is not collateral damage. We are not expendable, and we are never a small price to pay. Keep our city out of your reckless war talk. The president did not say that residents of Los Angeles and San Diego were a small price to pay.
00:13:37
Speaker 2: I get it, and I get why. We get why this is happening. They see an opportunity, right, Robes, to go viral almost, and then look what the president said, and you... Challenge him on that. I get it. But it's just this disingenuous this time around. I don't like that. Here we are. This might be the first time we've ever done an episode about something the president said. And we followed it by saying, we think you got it all wrong. Robes, he's very direct. When he said he wants to take out a civilization, we didn't hop on here and say, well, what he really means.
00:14:12
Speaker 1: No, he said what he said.
00:14:13
Speaker 2: He said what he said. And this is just one. He did leave it for interpretation, Robes. Given he does not get the benefit of the doubt, I get it. But more so than anything, I just think it's disingenuous.
00:14:24
Speaker 1: He fumbled.
00:14:24
Speaker 2: He didn't attack. Very badly. Very badly. But we're going to let you hear it for yourself. Yes, we're going to have kind of the beginning of it and the end of it in a... Hopefully it gives a little more context. And I think his tone, even, Robes, was important. So stay here. We're going to play for you in just a moment. President Trump's quote that's got everybody upset.
00:14:57
Speaker 1: Welcome back, everyone, to Amy and TJ. We're talking about what pretty much everyone is talking about, what the president said last night during a political rally in Nebraska, where if you just read the headlines, it appears, or people are certainly looking at it through the lens, that President Trump encouraged Democrats maybe even incited Iran to take out the city of Los Angeles and to take out the city of San Diego because that would be a small price to pay. That's not what he actually said. So we're going to let you hear him in his own words. And again, he fumbled through this, what he said to a crowd in Nebraska on Monday evening.
00:15:43
Speaker 3: We want to make it as Kamala would say. Did you hear her the other day, Kamala? She said, we have to make the election too big to rig.
00:15:51
Speaker 1: Oh, that was.
00:15:52
Speaker 3: She stole my line. She got killed even by the Democrats on that one. Can you imagine Kamala? She's about two years late. She said, we have to... Did you hear that? She said, we have to make the election too big to rig. I said, I can't believe she... She stole my line. She stole a lot of things that didn't work out too well.
00:16:12
Speaker 2: But I want... I.
00:16:16
Speaker 1: Want to see....
00:16:20
Speaker 3: I want to see a tremendous victory. You want to see a tremendous victory because it verifies all the things we did. And again, remember, with the war, it's just artificial. It's a little bit high. It's a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe. They can take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay, and it's going to be over very soon. It's essentially almost over with. And they might keep going a little long. They always say they have a big threshold for pain. They need it, let me tell you.
00:16:55
Speaker 1: They need it. So I think the laughter from the crowd did not help.
00:17:00
Speaker 2: Didn't help. They misunderstood it too, didn't they?
00:17:02
Speaker 1: I think they were laughing at the idea of all those liberals who are against the war actually becoming victims of it. And I do think that's part of what is feeding this reaction and overreaction by some officials because, yes, our country is divided. And I think just listening to that crowd in Nebraska laugh is a part of the problem.
00:17:30
Speaker 2: Yeah, it was. Again, even if you see him, he's very animated in how he's delivering it and he's kind of in his classic Trump gesturing. And he's not looking at a teleprompter. He's just winging it in front of a, And on home turf. So he was very loose.
00:17:47
Speaker 1: And it's hard to understand what he's saying. With the war, it's just artificial. It's a little bit high. You can't really make out those words. And it doesn't even make sense what he's referencing. We can understand that he is referencing gas prices. He's referencing the pain at the pump.
00:18:06
Speaker 2: Yeah, and he made that reference several minutes earlier. It's just taking him a while to land his planes. So the clips that are online are about 40 seconds showing this piece, babe. You never hear. You don't even have the context. You don't even know he's talking about gas prices at the time. But we know he was. So I get it. And there will still be people, right, Robes, who will say, no, you guys are crazy. What he was saying was, I just thinkâ The leaders are firing people up when I know, baby, that they know better.
00:18:37
Speaker 1: Yes. And look, he made a mistake absolutely by being flippant about something like that. You don't. You don't make flippant remarks about wiping out American cities. I know he's trying to bolster the reasoning behind going to war in the first place, that this was what he believed Iran's capabilities would be, could be, or maybe, as he pointed out, were at the time. But it's still very flippant. You don't just throw around cities being decimated in our country, Americans dying, and that he's trying to say he prevented that. because they had the capability of it, but it came off very much so. It came off offensively. It certainly did.
00:19:19
Speaker 2: And, of course, to those cities who already are not necessarily big fans of this guy, to hear their city's name come out of his mouth, they're chomping at the bit to go after him.
00:19:30
Speaker 1: And he gave them the bait, and they took it.
00:19:36
Speaker 2: And now other politicians are giving the bait and others are taking it as well.
00:19:43
Speaker 1: Yes, it continues. Unfortunately, the way we talk to each other and the way we try and get people to vote. and especially with midterms now looming, this is all, this is going to reach a fever pitch. This is pretty much all we're going to be hearing about today, most likely.
00:19:59
Speaker 2: With that, if there's more, and as of this recording at least, there was not an update from the White House or the President. No response as of this recording. There, we can expect one Probably going to be asked about it at the White House as well. But when that happens, we will hop back on. We always appreciate you spending time with us. From my dear Amy Robach, I'm TJ Holmes. Stay classy, San Diego.