Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) recently expressed strong disapproval of comments made by former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally. Trump suggested that Iran could potentially target major American cities, specifically naming Los Angeles and San Diego, while discussing the consequences of ongoing Middle East tensions.

Mayor Bass publicly stated she was “horrified” by the remarks, asserting that a president or presidential candidate should not characterize American cities as acceptable costs or targets in a geopolitical conflict. She emphasized that such language is dangerous and undermines the responsibility of national leadership to protect all citizens.

Trump’s comments were delivered as part of a broader discussion regarding the economic and security fallout of the current conflict in the Middle East. While Bass focused on the rhetoric regarding the safety of her city, the former president’s campaign has framed the discussion around the necessity of a strong foreign policy to prevent such scenarios from occurring. There is a clear disagreement between the two regarding the intent and impact of the statement; Bass views the rhetoric as reckless fear-mongering, while supporters of the former president’s platform typically view such comments as warnings about the stakes of current international instability.