Trump Says Government Leakers "Should Be Shot"

By douglasharrington // 2026-10-17

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President Donald Trump said government leakers should be shot during a campaign rally in Bullhead City, Arizona on Wednesday, Oct. 14, according to a report. Trump made the remarks while discussing leaked information about the timing of a U.S. military operation against Iran, the report stated. He called for extreme punishment for government leakers, delivering a startling warning during an Arizona rally as he railed against disclosures about U.S. military operations, according to the report [1]. The remarks were delivered at a campaign rally at Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport, according to the report. The president's comments came as he railed against disclosures about U.S. military operations, the report stated [1]. Trump also said the country had entered what he called a "golden age," the report stated. The rally remarks arrive against a broader enforcement campaign targeting leaks. The administration has pursued leakers through polygraphs, and the president has made several policy moves cracking down on press leaks, including sweeping nondisclosure agreements for federal employees [2][3].

Trump's Remarks on Leakers and Military Operations

He continued, "In the old days we used to shoot leakers, you know, when they leak what time you're going to attack a country," the report stated. Trump argued such disclosures could put American forces at risk and defended the military campaign as necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon capable of killing millions of people, according to the report. The remarks followed disclosures about Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, which were leaked to the media, according to Newsweek [4]. Trump has previously threatened to jail journalists who received leaked information. In April 2026, he vowed to find the "leaker" who disclosed that U.S. forces could not locate the second pilot stranded in Iran after their F-15 fighter jet was shot down, threatening to jail unnamed journalists who received the information if they did not reveal its source [5]. Trump claimed that Iranian authorities did not know that a second pilot of the downed two-seat warplane was missing until after the news report, which made the U.S. rescue mission "much more difficult," according to the report. The president has also described leaked information as "treasonous" and warned that "Long term JAIL SENTENCES will be sought" [6]. According to the report, Trump said the U.S. has "massive amounts" of key munitions and that the people leaking what he called treasonous statements were being hunted down.

Trump Compares Journalists to Leakers

Trump later returned to the subject and attacked the news media over its coverage of his administration, according to the report. Trump compared journalists to leakers, saying, "They're almost as bad as a leaker, because they leak false information that makes them a leaker, oftentimes without a source," according to the report. He accused the media of inventing anonymous sources while providing no evidence. The president's comparison of journalists to leakers came as his administration has escalated its legal campaign against news organizations. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has ordered four New York Times (NYT) reporters to testify in a classified-information leak investigation tied to reporting about Trump's new Air Force One [7]. The NYT framed the move as an attack on press freedom, while the DOJ said the reporters are not the targets and the alleged leakers are. That subpoena was later withdrawn. In a related action, the Department of War revoked the security clearance of former U.S. Air Force chief Frank Kendall, whom it accused of leaking classified information about Trump's Qatari-gifted presidential aircraft. "This action follows his unauthorized disclosure of classified information regarding Air Force One's capabilities to a media outlet," War Department spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement. Trump has launched at least six active lawsuits against news organizations [8], and has said that the way to pursue "treasonous" leaks was to seek information from journalists [9].

Context of the Rally Remarks

Trump defended his military campaign against Iran during the rally, the report stated. Trump also said the country had entered what he called a "golden age," the report stated. The remarks come amid a broader pattern of leak investigations. The White House leak hunt has reportedly escalated, with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel personally overseeing an operation to identify who leaked sensitive information about the security of the Qatari-supplied aircraft being used as Air Force One. Officials were reportedly asked to surrender their phones to investigators on White House grounds [10]. In August 2026, Trump declared war on missile shortage leakers, promising long prison time.

References

‘Scum of the earth!’ Trump floats shocking punishment for government .... https://www.rawstory.com/trump-leakers/
The New York Editorial | Trump calls leakers & scum of the Earth .... https://www.instagram.com/reel/Def3Y4JEXzj/
Trump Says Officials Who Leak Information to the Press .... https://www.washingtonsun.com/media/trump-says-officials-who-leak-information-to-the-press-should-be-shot
President #DonaldTrump called leakers “scum of the earth ... - TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/@newsweek/video/7696648532794658061
Trump Threatens to Jail Journalists Who Received Leak About US Pilot Downed in Iran. https://www.antiwar.com/blog/2026/04/06/trump-threatens-to-jail-journalists-who-received-leak-about-us-pilot-downed-in-iran/
President Trump Issues Blunt Warning to ‘Treasonous’ Leakers: ‘Long Term JAIL SENTENCES’. https://100percentfedup.com/president-trump-issues-blunt-warning-treasonous-leakers-long/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=president-trump-issues-blunt-warning-treasonous-leakers-long
BREAKING: DOJ Hits Four New York Times Reporters With Grand Jury Subpoenas. https://100percentfedup.com/breaking-doj-hits-four-new-york-times-reporters/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=breaking-doj-hits-four-new-york-times-reporters
Media outlets shift strategy, fighting back against Trump’s legal onslaught. https://www.naturalnews.com/2026-08-03-media-outlets-fighting-back-against-trumps-legal-onslaught.html
To track down government leakers, Trump supports pursuing journalists. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/07/24/identify-government-leakers-trump-supports-pursuing-journalists/
JUST IN: White House Leak Hunt Escalates — Officials Reportedly Asked To Hand Over Phones. https://100percentfedup.com/just-white-house-leak-hunt-escalates-officials-reportedly/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=just-white-house-leak-hunt-escalates-officials-reportedly
Trump Declares War on Missile Shortage Leakers, Promises Long Prison Time. https://www.naturalnews.com/2026-08-07-trump-declares-war-on-missile-shortage-leakers.html
Trump issues chilling government-wide NDA - as leakers face punishment. https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15850297/trump-government-nda-leak-punishment.html
The Trump administration is trying a far broader crackdown on leaks .... https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/federal-government-employee-nda-trump-leaks/
Trump targets leaks with subpoenas. How the First Amendment applies. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/07/14/trump-leaks-subpoenas-first-amendment/90913047007/

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