Trump Says Leakers ‘Should Be Shot’ and Rails Against Media at Rally
The President then pointed to journalists covering his rally and said they were “almost as bad” as a leaker.
During a campaign rally in Bullhead City, Arizona, on October 14, 2026, former U.S. President Donald Trump called individuals who leak sensitive government information to the media "scum of the earth" and suggested they should be shot. He referenced the June 2025 Operation Midnight Hammer raid on Iran, which he claimed had to be postponed due to a leak that revealed the timing of the U.S. departure and arrival.
Trump accused a "sleazebag" of leaking this information to the New York Times and CNN. He also criticized journalists covering his rally, saying they were "almost as bad" as leakers for spreading false information. Trump's stance against leakers has been consistent throughout his career, including during his presidency when he harshly criticized WikiLeaks and Edward Snowden for releasing classified documents.
Despite his general opposition to leaks, Trump has not always opposed them when they benefited him politically, such as in the case of WikiLeaks releasing private emails from Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman.
Written by urgent.news from Time's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
