FREDONIA PROJECT - SITREP 31: U.S. PRESIDENT MULLS OUTLOUD LETTING IRAN “TAKE OUT” LOS ANGELES AND SAN DIEGO
DATE-TIME GROUP:10071800ZOCT26.
FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.
TO: MFA NAGADOCHES
CLASSIFICATION: CONFIDENTIAL // FREDONIAN EYES ONLY
SUBJECT:
SUMMARY: IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1 THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF THE UNITED STATES. THE SERIES, DESIGNATED “THE FREDONIA PROJECT,” WILL BE CIRCULATED UNDER STANDARD SITREP PROTOCOL. UNAUTHORIZED PUBLICATION HAS BEEN OBSERVED VIA THIRD-PARTY ENTITY KNOWN AS “THE STEADY STATE.” PRESUMED LEAK. NO ACTION REQUIRED.
Per the Los Angeles Times and multiple other news sources, at a campaign rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, on 5 OCTOBER 2026, U.S. President Donald J. Trump suggested “letting Iran ‘take out’ Los Angeles and San Diego.” He actually used those words. And, the crowd actually cheered. He had been talking about the Iran War, and he noted that letting an adversary attack Los Angeles or San Diego was something that could be part of the cost of the war with Iran.
Talking about rising oil prices at a rally in Nebraska, Trump said, “And again, remember, with the war it’s just artificial, it’s a little bit high, it’s a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe. They can take out a city. Let ’em take out Los Angeles. Let ’em take out San Diego. [crowd cheers] That’s, this is a very small price to pay, and it’s gonna be over with very soon. It’s essentially almost over with, and they might keep going a little long, you know? They always say they have a big threshold for pain. They need it, let me tell you, they need it. But it’s gonna end very soon…”
(Ambassador Comment: Per the L.A. Times, greater Los Angeles has the largest concentration of people of Iranian descent outside of Iran itself. Perhaps that’s what got Trump’s attention; that may signify to Trump that Los Angeles is, indeed part of Iran. Who knows? Of course, if he sees Los Angeles and San Diego as part of Iran, why would Iran take either out? We do know that when Trump went after Los Angeles with his paramilitary ICE, it did not go well for him, so……?)
Per the New York Times, “California Governor Gavin Newsom called the president ‘deranged and dangerous.’” Per the Philadelphia Inquirer, Steven Cheung, the White House Communications Director, noted that Mr. Trump’s comments were taken out of context. (Ambassador Comment: No, they were not. The exact comments were: “They can take out a city. Let them take, let them take out Los Angeles; let them take out San Diego. That’s — this is a very small price to pay, and it’s going to be over with very soon. It’s essentially almost over with.” The comments were confusing only in that he did not refer to any threat about which the Administration has warned the country. And, in fact, Mr. Trump has repeatedly told his countrymen that the war with Iran is essentially over. It is not.)
On 6 October 2026, there was some talk of the 25th Amendment. This amendment lays out situations under which the U.S. President can be removed. The relevant part of the amendment is:
“25th Amendment, Section 4 (Involuntary Transfer of Power): If a president is unable or unfit to govern but refuses to step aside, the Vice President and a majority of the cabinet (or another body set by Congress) can declare in writing to Congress that the president cannot do the job. The Vice President instantly takes over as acting president. If the president disputes this, Congress must step in and vote. It requires a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress to keep the Vice President in charge.” (Ambassador Comment: Looking at you, November; Better late than never.)
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