Media outlets are currently claiming that Donald Trump was joking about nuking cities.
Posted by The Kuhner Report, Checked
- Sources
- 2 support4 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 60%
The Kuhner ReportOct 7, 2026
As of 2026-10-07, at least some outlets were framing Trump's Nebraska remarks as a joke: a San Antonio-area Straight Arrow News piece headlined them an 'apparent joke,' and a CrowderBits video quotes commentary that 'he was just joking.' The sources show this joke framing in some coverage, not as a sweeping consensus of 'media outlets,' and the White House and.
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… They're lying, okay? For, you know, or Anderson Cooper, who was losing his mind yesterday. It's an act. I'll play you Brzezinski and and Joe Scarborough on the air yesterday. Now, you know, it's so out, it's so outrageous, and it's so egregious. Now, if you notice, the schtick this morning is, well, he was joking. It, it was a joke. And is it really appropriate to be joking about nuking cities? You heard him. He's not joking. What's he joking about? So they're trying to slightly walk it back, slightly. But, you know, you watch these people, and you can tell they don't believe it. They know they're BSing their audience. …
The Kuhner Report · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. Straight Arrow News published a story on 2026-10-06 headlined 'Trump's apparent joke about letting Iran bomb LA and San Diego,' explicitly framing the remarks as a joke.[4]
Supports. A CrowderBits video published 2026-10-06 reports that media outlets claimed Trump was joking, quoting a commentator who heard 'Oh, he was just joking' that morning.[5]
Context. The White House said Trump was misunderstood and that the remarks described the dangers of a nuclear Iran; Snopes and FactCheck.org described the comments as tangential and open to interpretation rather than a joke.[1][2][3]
Context. The claim's 'nuking cities' phrasing reflects the post's wording; the sources mostly say 'take out' or 'bomb' cities, and the 'joke' framing comes from a limited set of outlets.[4][5][6]
Sources
6 sources: 3 fact-checkers, 3 not rated
- 1Trump did not call for attacks on US cities but explained ...apnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 2The Context for Trump's 'Take Out' Los Angeles, San Diego ...factcheck.org · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 3Did Trump say of Iran, 'Let 'em take out' LA and San Diego?snopes.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 4Trump’s apparent joke about letting Iran bomb LA and San ...san.com · not rated · cited for: supports, context
- 5No, Numbnuts, Trump Doesn't Want to Nuke LAyoutube.com · not rated · cited for: supports, context
- 6Trump: Iran attack on L.A. or San Diego would be ‘a small price to pay’nydailynews.com · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
- ABC News, CNN, and MSNBC reported that President Trump stated that a nuclear attack on Los Angeles and San Diego would be a small price to pay.True
- President Donald Trump stated that a ballistic missile would be dropped on Los Angeles or San Diego.Mixed
- Donald Trump stated he wanted Los Angeles and San Diego bombed.Mixed
- The media and Democrats are claiming that President Trump called on Iran to attack Los Angeles and San Diego.True
- Donald Trump stated 'Let them bomb Los Angeles'True