Trump suggests those who leak government information should ‘be shot’
The US president has long been unhappy with inside information about his administration being leaked to the media.
Key points
- Trump told a Bullhead City, Arizona rally that leakers of government information should be shot.
- He linked the remark to leaks about the June 2025 US attack on Iran during the 12-day Israel-Iran war.
- Trump said he had to reschedule the bombing campaign two days later because of the leak.
US President Donald Trump said at a campaign rally in Bullhead City, Arizona, that people who leak government information to the news media should be shot. He made the remarks on Wednesday while urging supporters to vote in the November 3 midterm elections.
Trump appeared to refer to Operation Midnight Hammer, the US surprise attack on Iran in June 2025 during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran. After the attack, several media outlets published findings from a preliminary US Defense Intelligence Agency report that had not yet been released publicly.
What Trump said
Trump told the crowd, "In my opinion, leakers should be shot." He added that in the old days leakers used to be shot when they revealed when a country would be attacked.
He accused the news media of putting military members in danger and named The New York Times and CNN. He said the leak revealed when US forces were leaving and arriving, and that he had to reschedule the bombing campaign two days later. He also said leakers should be jailed for life or shot, calling them "the scum of the earth."
In my opinion, leakers should be shot.
— Donald Trump
Leak crackdown and report
The Defense Intelligence Agency report indicated Iran moved some enriched uranium away from the bombed sites and suggested the damage to Iran's nuclear facilities was more modest than Trump had asserted. Trump blamed Democratic Party lawmakers for releasing it and said they should be prosecuted.
His administration has asked staff and military officers to take polygraph tests. Journalists at The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal have received subpoenas seeking sources. Last year, the Department of Defense required Pentagon access journalists to sign an agreement not to publish unauthorised material; much of the press corps refused and a federal court struck down many of the demands.
