In a bizarre public statement released in the wake of President Trump’s extremely controversial attacks on the Iranian nuclear program, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) took things a step further than most and decided to seemingly take the side of the Iranian nuclear scientists and military personnel who might have been impacted by the attacks.
As background, in a move supported by the pro-war Liz Cheney and Bill Kristol types but heavily criticized by longtime MAGA supporters like Steve Bannon, President Trump and his administration decided to bomb the sites involved in the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear programs.
Democrats and leftists were also of a mixed mind on the bombings, which were conducted by B-2 stealth bombers carrying deep penetration gravity bombs and Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from either one Ohio-class submarine converted to carry conventional weapons or multiple attack submarines. Some have supported the president and others, like Chuck Schumer and AOC, have joined much of MAGA in criticizing the bombings.
But few mainstream figures have decided to back the Iranians instead of just arguing that America should remain uninvolved. Amongst those that appeared to take the side of the Iranians was the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which said, in a since-deleted tweet, “Our hearts go out to the victims and families impacted by the recent bombings in Iran.”
Continuing, the LASD’s statement described the bombing as “tragic” and, oddly, insisted it was involved in monitoring it, saying, “While this tragic event occurred overseas, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is closely monitoring the situation alongside our local, state, and federal partners.”
More in line with what a police department should be up to, it then added that it is trying to ensure there are no retaliatory attacks on Los Angelenos, saying, “At the moment, there are no known threats to Los Angeles County. However, out of an abundance of caution, we are increasing patrol checks at places of worship and other sensitive locations throughout the county.”
Concluding the statement on much the same note regarding the safety situation and how it is acting on that front, it said, “The safety and security of our communities remain our top priority. We will continue to assess and respond to any developments as they arise. If you see something, say something.”
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Many took issue with the LASD’s framing of the issue. For example, an X account called “California Against Gavin Newsom” wrote, “Don’t worry Iran and other enemies of America. 🚨 Under Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, the LAPD has your backs. Actually worry, because the LAPD has been proven useless.”
Similarly, the Libs of TikTok X account wrote, “Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office sends condolences to Iran following the US destroying their nuclear plants” and a commenter noted, “LASD used to be a respected agency, but not for a while now. This posting is absurd. The real victims and their families live in Israel. If Iran had the capability their missiles would be aimed at the US. Their post is 100% wrong and BS. It’s what weakness looks like.”
Watch Hegseth comment on the Iran situation here: