Story perspectives

Newsom Orders Threat Monitoring After Trump Iran Remarks

By Drooid · Oct 7, 2026, 6:08 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

President Donald Trump said Iran could “take out” Los Angeles and San Diego, calling it a “small price.”
The White House said Trump’s remarks were mischaracterized.
The White House asserted Iran lacks nuclear capability.
Governor Gavin Newsom called Trump “deranged and dangerous.”
Newsom ordered the State Threat Assessment Center to monitor foreign threats to Los Angeles and San Diego.

History

Historical Context

The 1979 Iran hostage crisis, sparked when Ayatollah Khomeini’s supporters seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, lasted 444 days. President Jimmy Carter’s administration paid $2.5 billion in ransom and lost political capital, while 52 American diplomats endured captivity. Today’s Trump remarks echo the 1979 rhetoric, with the former president threatening Iran over Los Angeles and San Diego, prompting California Governor Gavin Newsom’s condemnation. The episode reinforces enduring U.S.–Iran distrust, urging the White House to reaffirm diplomatic restraint and state agencies to monitor foreign threats.

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Story summary

President Donald Trump said Iran could “take out” Los Angeles and San Diego, calling it a “small price.”
The White House said Trump’s remarks were mischaracterized.
The White House asserted Iran lacks nuclear capability.
Governor Gavin Newsom called Trump “deranged and dangerous.”
Newsom ordered the State Threat Assessment Center to monitor foreign threats to Los Angeles and San Diego.

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