Trump says government leakers 'should be shot' at Arizona rally

President Donald Trump told a campaign crowd in Bullhead City, Arizona, on Wednesday that government officials who leak sensitive military information to reporters deserve to be shot.

"In my opinion, leakers should be shot," he said before telling the audience that the country used to shoot leakers in the old days.

A leak before an Iran mission

Trump tied the remark to a strike on Iran that he said had to be pushed back by two days after news outlets reported when U.S. forces would leave and arrive. He claimed Iranian forces were lying in wait because of the leak. He did not name the mission but appeared to be pointing to the June 2025 bombing of Iranian nuclear sites.

He called the unnamed leaker a sleazebag who belongs in jail and then said leakers are the scum of the earth who should be dealt with very strongly.

Reporters in the crosshairs too

Moments later the president turned his fire on the press. He said reporters who publish false information are almost as bad as leakers because they spread bad information too, often without a source.

The White House has spent months trying to shut down leaks. In August Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a joint task force with the Justice Department to track down and prosecute people who pass sensitive material to the media.

On the trail with three weeks to go

The Arizona rally was one of several midterm stops for the president this week, including Montana. Polls show voters increasingly unhappy with the economy as Republicans fight to keep their majorities in Congress with Election Day less than three weeks away.