Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) on Tuesday accused President Donald Trump of attacking the millions of Americans who live in Democratic-led states and cities. She called his remarks suggesting Iran could “take out” Los Angeles and San Diego “divisive and sickening.” The senator, who has voted repeatedly to end the U.S.-Iran war, wrote that “we are ALL Americans” and called the president’s rhetoric “a disgrace.”
What Murray Said
Murray, Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, posted her response on X at 1:58 p.m. on Oct. 6, 2026. Her full post read:
“I am downright sick of this President attacking the millions of patriotic Americans who live in “blue” states and cities.
We are ALL Americans and this type of rhetoric is divisive and sickening. What a disgrace.”
The post was a direct reply to remarks Trump made at a Republican political rally in Nebraska on Monday, in which he appeared to suggest that Iran could strike two of California’s largest cities. It drew a line between the president’s comments and the roughly millions of residents of Democratic-led states and cities that Murray described as “patriotic Americans.”
What Trump Said in Nebraska
Speaking at the rally on Monday, Trump defended the Iran war, which began in February, as necessary for the nation’s security. “It’s a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe,” he said. “They can take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles, let them take out San Diego.” Sections of the audience cheered as he spoke. It was not immediately clear what he meant, and the president did not elaborate on the remark. At the same rally he suggested the war was “going to end very soon” but gave no details on how.
The White House pushed back hard on how the comments were characterized. White House Communications Director Stephen Cheung wrote on X that the “media freakout” was “not rooted in reality.” “He was clearly stating US 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.” The White House’s official rapid response account separately wrote that Trump “was saying the US is fighting to STOP Iran from having the ability to take out LA and San Diego with a nuclear weapon — which they would if they had the chance.”
California Leaders Respond
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) was among the first to respond, writing on social media: “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.” He described the president as “deranged and dangerous.” On Tuesday morning Newsom announced that what he called a “dangerous – if not treasonous” statement had led him to direct California’s State Threat Assessment Center to “monitor the situation in the event that foreign actors interpret the remarks as an invitation” to target the state.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria wrote that his city was not “collateral damage” and not “expendable,” adding: “Keep our city out of your reckless war talk.” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the comments were “dangerous” and could “potentially compromise” the city’s safety. “The role of a president is to protect the country, not to actively threaten it and encourage attacks on American lives,” she wrote.
The criticism was not limited to Democrats. Jim Desmond, a San Diego County supervisor endorsed by Trump in the race for California’s 48th Congressional District, said he “vehemently” disagreed with the president. “No American city is expendable, and no American family should ever be treated as collateral damage,” Desmond wrote. His Democratic opponent, San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert, called it “indefensible” that Desmond “continues to support Trump’s war and continues to be backed and funded by a President who jokes about the 1.4 million people in San Diego being ‘taken out’ by a foreign adversary.”
Murray’s Record on the War
Murray has been one of the Senate’s most persistent critics of the Iran war since it began. After the fighting started, she called for Congress to return from recess. “Congress must return immediately and vote to put an end to this war,” she said in a statement, adding: “President Trump promised to end wars—not start them.” She also wrote that “Iran should never possess a nuclear weapon,” but argued that a diplomatic agreement constraining Iran’s nuclear program “was already in place” before Trump “tore it up,” and she urged Senate Majority Leader John Thune to call the chamber back into session.
Her objections to unauthorized military action against Iran predate the current war. In an earlier statement on Trump administration strikes on Iranian targets, she wrote that “Trump does not have the unilateral authority” to start a war, called the strike “unconstitutional,” and said “any president” must “come to Congress to approve the use of military force.” In a related statement she announced her vote for a war powers resolution introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA).
On April 15, 2026, Murray announced she had voted for a fourth War Powers Resolution, introduced by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), calling the conflict Trump’s “reckless war of choice.” “Since the beginning, Trump has had no strategy and no endgame—meanwhile American lives have been lost, hundreds of servicemembers have been injured, and thousands are in harm’s way,” she said. She also said Republicans “turn a blind eye as Trump spends billions on bombs” while “prices across the board—groceries, health care, and gas—are skyrocketing.” “When it comes to broken promises—it does not get more blatant than that,” she said.
On June 24, Murray responded to Trump’s request for $87.6 billion in supplemental funding for the war and other Pentagon priorities. She said the president “launched a reckless and costly war with Iran—without authorization from Congress or the support of the American people” and was “asking taxpayers to pick up the tab.” “I will not rubberstamp tens of billions more for this disastrous war of choice,” she said.
Why the Remarks Carry Weight
Both cities named by Trump are home to significant U.S. military assets. San Diego, the nation’s eighth-largest city, hosts Naval Base San Diego, home port of the Pacific Fleet, and Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, the Navy’s main SEAL training center on the West Coast. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, where roughly 70,000 service members and civilians work, is also in the area. Los Angeles, the nation’s second most populous city, is home to the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command headquarters and Los Angeles Air Force Base.
The remarks came days after Trump rejected Iran’s latest cease-fire proposal, which would have reopened the Strait of Hormuz and restarted nuclear talks in exchange for U.S. concessions. Among the stated justifications for launching the war was preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Newsom, who may run for president in 2028, has repeatedly clashed with Trump, including over the deployment of military personnel to Los Angeles during last year’s immigration enforcement protests, which Newsom called a “brazen abuse of power.” As of Tuesday, Trump had not directly responded to the statements from California officials.