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“He was clearly stating U.S. cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn’t been stopped,” Cheung wrote. “America is safer because of the President. Iran has no nuclear, no navy, no air force, and no money.”
Newsom, a Democrat who has clashed with Trump in the past, quickly condemned the president’s remarks online.
“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, 58, wrote on X Monday, adding, “He is deranged and dangerous.”
In a follow-up post, he wrote, “Let’s be clear: The President is advocating for an attack on 10+ million U.S. residents in two of America’s largest cities.” He added that “this is not normal” and “we will continue to remind folks of that every day.”
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass also called the president’s remarks “dangerous” and warned that they “could potentially compromise our safety” in a post on X.
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“The role of a president is to protect the country, not to actively threaten it and encourage attacks on American lives,” she wrote. “In the face of irresponsible threats, as Angelenos, we know how to stand together and protect our city.”
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria also responded on X, writing, “San Diego is not collateral damage. We are not expendable. And we are never a ‘small price to pay.’ Keep our city out of your reckless war talk.”
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PEOPLE has reached out to the White House for additional comment.
Trump is campaigning ahead of the November midterm elections, where affordability and the rising cost of living have emerged as central issues for voters amid persistent inflation and higher borrowing costs.
The political landscape also shows signs of some voters looking beyond their traditional party lines, according to recent New York Times-Siena College polling. The surveys found between 9% and 16% of likely Republican voters backing Democratic candidates in Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio and Texas.