Trump Suggests Leakers Should Be Shot, Rails Against Media

During a rally in Bullhead City, Arizona, on Wednesday, former President Donald Trump stated that individuals who leak sensitive government information to the media “should be shot.” He described such leakers as “the scum of the earth” and recalled instances where he believed leaks had compromised operations.

Trump appeared to reference a planned raid on Iran, which he claimed had to be delayed because its timing was leaked. He also mentioned a leaked preliminary Defense Intelligence Agency report following a June operation against Iranian nuclear sites. This report, according to subsequent accounts, indicated that the sites were not as heavily damaged as initially stated and that Iran could still enrich uranium, potentially moving material before the strike.

“Somebody leaked—some sleazebag,” Trump said. “They ought to go to jail and be shot. For the rest of their life, They should be in jail. But they leaked that we were leaving at 12:07 from Missouri, and it was in the New York Times, CNN.” He then turned his attention to the journalists present, suggesting they were “almost as bad” as leakers and that they too “leak false information.”

Trump’s strong stance against leaks predates his presidency. In 2010, he criticized WikiLeaks for releasing classified U.S. military and diplomatic documents, telling Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade that “there should be like death penalty or something.” As a civilian, he frequently denounced former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden on social media and in public remarks, calling him a “spy” who “should be executed” for leaking NSA surveillance programs in 2013.

During his presidency, Trump frequently lamented what he termed “illegal classified leaking,” especially when reports emerged in 2017 about contacts between his campaign and Russian intelligence officials. He stated on Twitter that such leakers “will be caught.” In 2019, referring to a whistleblower complaint about his dealings with Ukraine, Trump suggested that individuals providing information to whistleblowers were akin to spies and hinted at harsher consequences in the past: “You know what we used to do in the old days when we were smart, right, with spies and treason, right? We used to handle them a little differently than we do now.”

Conversely, Trump has also embraced leaks that served his political interests. In the days before the 2016 election, he expressed delight over WikiLeaks' release of John Podesta's emails and those from the Democratic National Committee, even urging Russia to publish any further information they might have obtained from Hillary Clinton’s campaign.

The Trump administration also pursued actions against leaks. Journalists from The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post faced subpoenas related to their reporting on national security matters, though the Justice Department later withdrew them. In January, the FBI raided the home of a Post reporter as part of an investigation into a government contractor accused of mishandling classified information. The Justice Department has also charged individuals, such as a former Army employee arrested in April for allegedly transmitting classified information to unauthorized recipients, including a journalist.

This is not the first time Trump has suggested lethal force against individuals. In 2023, he remarked that store robbers and looters should be shot by police if permitted. He had previously, according to a 2019 book, privately suggested that soldiers shoot migrants crossing the border, though he later denied taking such a hardline stance. During the George Floyd protests in 2020, he reportedly considered ordering the military to shoot protesters in the legs. More recently, Trump approved the Army's first execution of a soldier by firing squad since World War II, expressing initial enthusiasm for livestreaming the event, though he later indicated he would reconsider based on feedback.