Gavin Newsom
Role at the time: Governor of California
Response to this claim
Trump was saying that foreign enemies of the United States should "take out" Los Angeles and San Diego.
“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.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom's post on his personal X account, quoting a clip of the rally remark posted by the commentator Acyn.
Why we used this label
The reference point is whether Trump's remark meant Iranian attacks on Los Angeles and San Diego would be an acceptable price for the war, as critics read it, rather than that the war prevents a nuclear Iran from being able to attack them, as the White House says. Newsom reads the remark as Trump saying foreign enemies should attack the two cities and calls him dangerous, which asserts and condemns the critics' reading. The closest competing label is Challenged the characterization, but Newsom does more than dispute a description: he states what he says Trump meant and criticizes it. Evidence: Newsom's own post on X.