CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale often spends his days pointing out Donald Trump’s lies, falsehoods, exaggerations and basic untruths.

So it was a bit of a surprise that Dale took to social media Tuesday to defend the president against an account associated with Democrats.

During a Monday night rally in Nebraska, the president attempted to justify the high costs and inflation associated with the Iran war by suggesting a grim alternative.

“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 could take out a city. Let ’em take out Los Angeles. Let ’em take out San Diego.”

White House staffers insist Trump wasn’t saying he wanted Iran to attack the U.S. but that he wants to prevent Tehran from having the ability to do so.

Trump’s fiery comments attracted attention, and @HQNewsNow, an account associated with former Vice President Kamala Harris, posted a clip of his comments captioned, “Trump on Iran: Let ’em take out Los Angeles and San Diego, it’s a small price to pay.”

Trump on Iran: Let 'em take out Los Angeles and San Diego, it's a small price to pay pic.twitter.com/Fc4BcjVDKj

Although the clip contained the complete remarks, Dale objected to the caption in a lengthy social media post, saying, “This isn’t a direct quote from Trump, and I very much don’t think it’s a correct paraphrase.”

He also noted that Trump has “repeatedly argued that the consequences of the war, like higher gas prices, are a small price to pay compared to what an unchecked Iran could allegedly do.”

He suggested the reason people think Trump was saying he wanted Iran to attack Los Angeles and San Diego is that “you kinda have to be steeped in TrumpRallySpeak to know what he was saying last night.”

Dale then noted that while it’s fair to say “it’s inappropriate” for a president “to casually float the possibility of a city being wiped out,” he insisted “the context exists and is important.”

This isn’t a direct quote from Trump, and I very much don’t think it’s a correct paraphrase. Trump has repeatedly argued that the consequences of the war, like higher gas prices, are a small price to pay compared to what an unchecked Iran could allegedly do. Last night, in… https://t.co/oIDbXoTWDO

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