Updated

At a rally in Nebraska on October 5, President Trump suggested that Iran could potentially 'take out' the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, calling the cost 'very negligible,' prompting fierce backlash from California officials. Governor Gavin Newsom called the remarks 'deranged and dangerous' and directed the state's threat-assessment center to actively monitor for possible threats, while the White House defended the comments as rhetorical. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei dismissed the claim as fear-mongering designed to distract Americans from domestic problems, accusing Washington's 'warmongering establishment' of fabricating an imaginary enemy. The episode has become a flashpoint in US political debate ahead of the midterms, with fact-checkers and media outlets scrutinizing the context and implications of Trump's statement.