Trump says leakers should be shot, veering off midterm pitch

U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to speak during a campaign event in Bullhead City, Arizona, on Wednesday. | BLOOMBERG

Oct 15, 2026

U.S. President Donald Trump called for the execution of individuals who leak information to the media during a campaign rally as he railed against what he saw as critical coverage of the Iran war.

“In my opinion, leakers should be shot. They should be shot. In the old days, we used to shoot leakers,” Trump said at the campaign event in Bullhead City, Arizona. “Leakers should be dealt with very, very strongly. They’re real. To me, they’re the scum of the earth.”

Trump on Wednesday cited what he cast as a strike against Iran that involved U.S. military assets from Missouri, saying a leak of key details led him to reschedule that operation. The president did not specify which operation he was referring to and provided no direct evidence that a leak to the media had forced the Pentagon to alter any military plans.

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