Newsom vs Trump: California governor demands 25th Amendment after controversial LA, San Diego remarks. Here's what the US President said

California Gov. Gavin Newsom called on Tuesday for the invocation of the 25th Amendment to remove US President Donald Trump. His remarks came after the president suggested at a campaign rally in Nebraska that Iran could "take out" Los Angeles and San Diego as "a small price to pay." California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) led the charge, telling The Hill on Tuesday that Trump is “mentally ill.” “TIME FOR THE 25TH!” the governor said in a statement.

However, the White House quickly jumped to defend Trump, saying that the Trump was arguing that US cities would have been at risk if a nuclear Iran had not been stopped, and that the war is the price of keeping Tehran from ever having that capability.

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Time for the 25th, declares Newsom

"TIME FOR THE 25TH!" Newsom declared in a statement quoted by The Hill, adding that Trump is "mentally ill." The governor wrote that, after sending the National Guard and Marines to California, the president was now saying that foreign enemies should "take out" Los Angeles and San Diego. "He is deranged and dangerous," he added.

The governor, seen as a potential Democratic presidential candidate in 2028, led the charge against the president's comments, although his call has no direct legal effect. Section 4 of the 25th Amendment can only be invoked by the vice president and a majority of the cabinet, not by a state governor.

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During a midterm campaign rally on Monday in Grand Island, Nebraska, Trump defended the economic costs of the war with the Iranian regime, including high gas prices, and declared: "It's a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe." He then added: "They can take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles, let them take out San Diego."

“Gavin Newscum is the worst governor in America, and he also may be the dumbest,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in response to the remarks.

California leaders respond

Newsom was far from the only California politician to lash out at Trump, however. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) said Trump’s remarks are “dangerous and could potentially compromise our safety,” while San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria (D) told Trump in his own statement to “keep our city out of your reckless war talk.”

Meanwhile, Republican Jim Desmond, who is running for a San Diego-area House district, said he “vehemently” disagrees with the president. “No American city is expendable, and no American family should ever be treated as collateral damage,” Desmond wrote on social media.

Trump remarks create concern for Republicans

The president’s statement risks energizing Democrats ahead of the midterms as Republicans struggle to galvanize their own base.

“While the president’s statement may get laughs in Nebraska, in California it highlights why our state’s voters passionately dislike Trump,” said Matthew Klink, a California-based Republican strategist.

“Last night, apparently, the feeling became mutual,” he added.

But even some Trump allies didn’t see it that way. “While it’s clear the president was joking, it’s not helpful to have these comments out there with a month to go,” said one former Trump campaign aide who is involved in the midterm efforts. “This isn’t his first time at the movie and he knows better. He knows when something is said even in jest, it’s a distraction for us.”

“It basically means that instead of focusing on Democrats, we’re addressing something he said,” the former aide said.

Democrats back Newsom’s response

Democrats, meanwhile, were pleased to see California leaders such as Newsom call out Trump on his comments.

“Good for Gavin, as he should,” said Democratic strategist Joel Payne. “Few people in modern American history have tried to turn the country against each other or use the bully pulpit of the presidency to turn people against each other more than Donald Trump.”

“Wishing harm on his own constituents that he is accountable to is as close to unforgivable as you could imagine for a public official and there will be little more than a peep from Republicans to call him out about it,” Payne added.

Garry South, a Democratic strategist based in California and a former adviser to Newsom, said the California governor was “right on” to call out Trump for “suggesting a foreign adversary target cities in his state.”

“Los Angeles is home to the largest expatriate Iranian community outside of Iran, not that ignoramus Trump probably knows that, but it makes it doubly egregious to put an Iranian target on Southern California,” South said.

Trump makes another controversial remark

Trump’s comment about the two Southern California cities was not the only controversial remark he made on the campaign trail Monday.

Trump used an anti-trans slur to refer to South Carolina Democratic Senate nominee Annie Andrews in a Truth Social post while en route to last night’s rally in Nebraska.

“One of the biggest problems Republicans are facing is that the president of their party is unhinged,” Stutzman said. “He is being extremely counterproductive on the road to Republican political objectives.”