US President Donald Trump has said his recent comments about Los Angeles and San Diego were misinterpreted, clarifying that he was referring to the temporary rise in petrol prices as a relatively small cost of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Trump made the remarks at a political rally in Nebraska on Monday while discussing the economic sacrifices Americans were facing amid the war.
“Remember, with the war, it’s just artificial, it’s a little bit high, it’s a small price to pay,” he said.
He added that the cost was “a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, for keeping our country safe”, before making comments about Los Angeles and San Diego that prompted criticism.
“They could take out a city. Let ‘em take out Los Angeles, let ‘em take out San Diego,” Trump said, adding that the price was small and the conflict would end soon.
The remarks drew swift criticism from California’s Democratic leaders and some Republicans.
In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump said his comments had been taken out of context.
“What I was talking about was that a temporary increase in the price of Gasoline is a small price to pay for Iran not having a Nuclear Weapon,” he wrote.
“If you want to see a big price, can you imagine what it would be like if they bombed San Diego and/or Los Angeles?” he added, saying he loved both cities.
Trump has previously dismissed concerns about the cost of living arising from the conflict with Iran, arguing that the economic impact should be considered in the context of preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.
