Trump Calls Iran War Costs "a Small Price to Pay," Says Iran Could "Take Out" LA and San Diego

President Donald Trump told supporters in Nebraska that the economic fallout from the war with Iran is "just artificial" and "a small price to pay," adding that Iran could "take out" a major American city like Los Angeles or San Diego. "And again, remember, with the war, it's just artificial, it's a little bit high, it's a small price to pay," Trump told the crowd in Grand Island on Monday, apparently referring to rising prices for fuel, fertilizer, and other products tied to energy market disruptions from the war. "It's a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, for keeping our country safe. They could take out a city. Let 'em take out Los Angeles, let 'em take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay, and it's going to be over with very soon," he said. "It's essentially almost over with," Trump went on. "But it's going to end very soon, and it's going to end one way or the other." ## Swift backlash from California The remarks drew immediate condemnation from California's leaders. Governor Gavin Newsom called the president "deranged and dangerous" and said he was directing the State Threat Assessment Center to monitor the situation in case foreign actors interpreted the remarks as an invitation to target California. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the statements "could potentially compromise our safety," adding that "the role of a president is to protect the country, not to actively threaten it and encourage attacks on American lives." San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said his city "is not collateral damage. We are not expendable. And we are never a 'small price to pay.'" The White House dismissed the criticism on Tuesday. Communications Director Steven Cheung said the "media freakout" was "not rooted in reality," arguing Trump was "clearly stating U.S. cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn't been stopped." He added: "America is safer because of the President. Iran has no nuclear, no navy, no air force, and no money." — Do you want to see how to make more plays? Do you want to find gains yourself? Unusual Whales helps you find market opportunities through our market tide, historical options flow, GEX, and much, much more. [Create a free account here](https://unusualwhales.com/login?ref=blubber) to start conquering the market with Unusual Whales — ## Options market and stocks to watch War rhetoric and energy-price commentary move the energy complex directly. Watch these names: [USO](https://unusualwhales.com/stock/uso/overview): the crude oil ETF is the purest read on war-driven energy disruption. Escalation headlines and "over very soon" talk swing it both ways. [XLE](https://unusualwhales.com/stock/xle/overview): the energy sector ETF tracks oil majors and refiners, which benefit from elevated fuel prices even as consumers feel the pinch. [SPY](https://unusualwhales.com/stock/spy/overview): broad market exposure to geopolitical headline risk. Watch for volatility around further war commentary and midterm polling shifts. Watch for unusual call flow in energy names around war headlines and fuel-price data. For more macro coverage, see [other market news here](https://unusualwhales.com/news). Want more market intelligence? [Create your free Unusual Whales account](https://unusualwhales.com/login?ref=blubber) for options flow, market tide, GEX, and the full toolkit.