Trump Says Government Leakers ‘Should Be Shot’ at Arizona Rally

US President Donald Trump said government officials who leak information to the media “should be shot,” in remarks at a campaign rally in Bullhead City, Arizona, on Wednesday. The “Trump leakers should be shot” remark came as he campaigned for Republican gubernatorial candidate Andy Biggs ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.

FAKTA

• Who: US President Donald Trump, speaking at a rally in Bullhead City, Arizona
• When: Wednesday, October 14, 2026
• What he said: “Leakers should be, in my opinion, leakers should be shot”; called leakers “the scum of the earth”
• Context: Trump tied the remarks to an alleged leak of US strike plans on Iran, naming The New York Times and CNN
• On journalists: Said reporters are “almost as bad as a leaker” because “they leak false information”

What Trump said

“Leakers should be, in my opinion, leakers should be shot,” Trump told supporters, according to rally transcripts carried by multiple outlets. “In the old days, we used to shoot leakers, you know, when they leak what time you’re going to attack a country.”

He said leakers should be “dealt with very, very strongly,” and added: “They’re the scum of the earth.”

The alleged Iran strike-plan leak

Trump linked his comments to an alleged leak of details about Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. He said coverage by The New York Times and CNN had disclosed the departure and arrival times of B-2 bombers — claiming the departure time of 12:07 from Missouri had appeared in their reporting — and that he had consulted Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called off the mission, and proceeded two days later using the same schedule in order to mislead Iran.

Outlets carrying the remarks noted that Trump’s account of the alleged leak and the mission delay was not independently verified.

Trump compares journalists to leakers

Turning to the journalists covering the rally, Trump said: “They’re almost as bad as a leaker.” He added: “They leak false information. That makes them a leaker,” and said reporters often publish “without a source.”

The “Trump leakers should be shot” remark is the sharpest in a series of statements from the president against unauthorized disclosures since he returned to office.

Broader crackdown on leaks

The administration has moved to curb unauthorized disclosures through proposed government-wide nondisclosure agreements for federal employees, polygraph testing of members of the military’s Joint Staff, subpoenas of journalists, and an FBI search of a reporter’s home, according to reports.

Critics said the language and the growing anti-leak measures could discourage whistleblowers and affect press reporting, while supporters framed the actions as national-security enforcement.

More US coverage: Watan News English