The White House lashed out at reports about Donald Trump suggesting at a rally that he would let Iran attack Los Angeles and San Diego.

At a rally in Nebraska, Trump told supporters that he hoped to see a “tremendous victory” in the November midterm elections. He then suggested high prices due to the war with Iran were a “small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe”.

“They can take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego,” Trump added as the crowd cheered. “This is a very small price to pay, and it’s gonna be over with very soon.”

After several California leaders condemned the remark, the White House argued that Trump never meant what he said.

“No, he didn’t, you buffoons,” the White House Rapid Response account wrote on Twitter in response to a Los Angeles Times report on the remark.

“He was saying the U.S. 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,” they continued.

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung also slammed the “media freakout,” claiming it was “not rooted in reality.”

“He was clearly stating U.S. cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn’t been stopped,” Cheung continued. “America is safer because of the President. Iran has no nuclear, no navy, no air force, and no money.”