California leaders condemned President Donald Trump on Monday night after he appeared to suggest that Iran could “take out” Los Angeles and San Diego if it develops a nuclear weapon.

Speaking at a Republican political rally in Nebraska, the president sought to justify the Iran war as necessary for “keeping the world safe.” He then suggested there could be strikes on the United States, including the Democratic-led Californian cities.

“They could take out a city,” he said. “Let them take — Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego.”

Newsom: Trump Is ‘Deranged and Dangerous’

It was not immediately clear what Trump meant, but his comments were met with anger from officials in California, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, who called the president “deranged and dangerous.”

“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,” Newsom posted on social media.

Mayor Todd Gloria of San Diego wrote on social media that his city was not “collateral damage” and not “expendable.”

“Keep our city out of your reckless war talk,” he added.

In Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass said the president’s comments were “dangerous” and could “potentially compromise” the city’s safety.

“The role of a president is to protect the country, not to actively threaten it and encourage attacks on American lives,” she said in a social media statement.

Trump’s comments also drew in politicians in California campaigning for Congress in a competitive district.

Trump-Endorsed Candidate Repudiates President’s Remarks

Jim Desmond, a member of San Diego County’s board of supervisors who was endorsed by Trump in his campaign to represent California’s 48th Congressional District, said he “vehemently” disagreed with the president.

“No American city is expendable, and no American family should ever be treated as collateral damage,” he wrote in a post on social media.

His Democratic opponent, Marni von Wilpert, a member of San Diego’s City Council, highlighted Desmond’s ties to the president.

“It’s indefensible that Jim Desmond continues to support Trump’s war and continues to be backed and funded by a President who jokes about the 1.4 million people in San Diego being ‘taken out’ by a foreign adversary,” she wrote in a social media post.

No Comment From White House

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s remarks.

In his speech Monday, Trump also suggested the war with Iran was “going to end very soon,” but did not provide any information as to how. Among his key justifications for launching the war in Iran this year was to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.

Last week, Trump turned down Iran’s latest ceasefire proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart talks on the country’s nuclear program in exchange for U.S. concessions.

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This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
By Laura Chung/Doug Mills
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