During a campaign rally at the Pinnacle Bank Expo Center in Grand Island, Nebraska, on October 5, 2026, President Donald Trump defended the escalating conflict with Iran by suggesting that potential attacks on major California cities were an acceptable cost. Telling a cheering crowd, “Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego,” Trump described the prospect of widespread destruction and civilian casualties as “a very small price to pay.”
The remarks triggered immediate condemnation from political figures and media commentators. California Governor Gavin Newsom labeled the president “deranged and dangerous,” while San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria asserted that his city “is not collateral damage.” Jim Desmond, a Navy veteran and San Diego County supervisor running for California’s 48th Congressional District, also pushed back, arguing that while America must defend its interests, the commander-in-chief’s primary duty is protecting American soil.
Despite the backlash, cable news spent significant time dissecting the comment, providing the very distraction Trump often seeks. This coverage shifted focus away from declining approval ratings, rising inflation, weak employment data, and vulnerabilities in U.S. military installations across the Middle East and the United Kingdom. It also diverted attention from questions regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s failure to explain the suspected spread of a plague virus within Russia.
Writing in their New York Times bestselling book, Trump’s Ten Commandments, scholars who have observed Trump for three decades argue against dismissing these antics as signs of dementia or impulsive chaos. Instead, they describe a deliberate strategy they term the “Wall of Sound,” drawing inspiration from Phil Spector’s production technique of layering instruments to overwhelm listeners. The concept parallels the mid-20th-century “Wurlitzer Effect,” where carnival organs drowned out surrounding noise to capture attention.
According to this analysis, Trump’s method involves burying negative news under louder, more outrageous provocations. When conventional leaders attempt to pivot with positive updates, Trump generates scandals to outshine them. Examples cited include January threats against Greenland and Denmark over national security and trade disputes, as well as a botched military operation in Venezuela that promised regime change and lower gas prices without achieving either.
Further examples include Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025, where B-2 stealth bombers targeted Iranian nuclear facilities. Although Trump claimed the Iranian nuclear threat was eliminated, Iran’s continued capabilities contradicted this assertion. Similarly, Operation Epic Fury, launched in February with promises to dismantle Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, had yielded no resolution eight months later.
Other diversions featured the dissemination of a racist AI-generated video of the Obamas in February to coincide with sagging approval ratings, and attempts to rename the Kennedy Center. When these efforts failed to dominate the news cycle, Trump launched legal attacks against universities, former FBI director James Comey, and former Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell, before returning to criticisms of Canada.
While these maneuvers successfully soak up media oxygen, they mask severe underlying issues. Recent polling indicates Trump’s approval rating has dropped to 32%, the lowest of his terms. Economic indicators show persistent inflation, plummeting consumer confidence, and stalling job growth. Meanwhile, the war with Iran has grown longer and more complex than anticipated.
Compounding these problems are recent military withdrawals and congressional blockages. The Pentagon confirmed that all 12 B-1B bombers stationed at RAF Fairford in the UK have been returned home following arrests linked to a suspected plot against the base. Additionally, Senator Chris Murphy revealed that the Pentagon denied him access to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest U.S. facility in the region, which has been repeatedly struck by Iranian forces since the war began.
Trump’s strategy relies on the audience failing to connect the noise to what it conceals. However, experts suggest the antidote is disciplined focus on facts and sustained accountability. While Trump draws inspiration from showman P.T. Barnum’s belief that the public enjoys being amused even when deceived, observers note that Canadians, Iranians, and American citizens are increasingly recognizing these tactics and refocusing attention on domestic policy failures and diplomatic struggles.
Is anyone else noticing how many military operations have failed despite the loud promises? The record seems pretty bad underneath all this noise.
I am honestly terrified that letting California be collateral damage is being treated as normal political rhetoric now. Where is the outrage?
The Wurlitzer Effect is a perfect metaphor. It never fails to drown out the real economic struggles we are all feeling.