During a campaign rally in Bullhead City, Arizona, President Donald Trump suggested on Wednesday that individuals leaking classified information should face severe consequences, including being "shot." The event was held in support of Republican candidates ahead of the upcoming November 3 legislative elections.
"In my view, leakers should be shot," Trump declared to his audience, as reported by the EFE news agency.
The Republican leader described leakers as the "scum of the earth" and demanded they be punished "very, very harshly."
Trump's remarks came in light of a military operation that he claimed was aborted at the last minute due to media outlets like The New York Times and CNN disclosing operational details, including departure and arrival times of U.S. bombers from Missouri.
The comments seem to allude to the so-called Operation Midnight Hammer, a U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear facilities carried out in June 2025, though Trump did not explicitly name the mission.
"When they leak what time you're going to attack a country, and the reason you're attacking is really for defense because you don't want them to have a weapon that can obliterate millions of people with one shot," the president argued.
Trump also extended his criticism to journalists, likening them directly to leakers.
"They are almost as bad as a leaker because they leak false information," he asserted, adding, "That makes them a leaker."
Sources consulted by American media clarified that Trump's statement was political in nature and does not imply any new legal penalties or legislative changes establishing the death penalty for such offenses.
Trump's comments occur amidst a continuous escalation by his administration against leaks to the press. In July 2026, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the creation of a joint task force between the Pentagon and the Department of Justice to identify and prosecute leakers. In August, the Pentagon subjected about 50 members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to polygraph tests related to leaks concerning alleged ammunition shortages during the conflict with Iran.
In April 2026, Trump had already threatened to imprison a journalist who published classified information about a second American aviator in Iranian territory, and the FBI arrested a former Special Operations Command official that same month for allegedly transmitting sensitive information to a reporter.
The Wednesday remarks also coincided with a judicial setback for the administration: Federal Judge Timothy Kelly issued a restraining order that day granting 78 journalists from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico access to the White House while litigation continues over the administration's September ban on those outlets, accusing them of disseminating "fiction and lies."
The rally in Arizona, a pivotal state in the upcoming legislative elections, is part of Trump's campaign to bolster the Republican majority in Congress ahead of November 3, a date on which the president himself had publicly ruled out any new attacks against Iran.
Understanding Trump's Controversial Statements on Leakers
What was the context of Trump's statements on leakers?
Trump's statements were made during a campaign rally in Arizona, where he advocated for harsh penalties against those who leak classified information, citing the impact of such leaks on military operations.
Did Trump's comments imply any new legal actions?
No, sources clarified that Trump's remarks were political in nature and did not indicate any new legal penalties or legislative changes regarding leakers.