Trump says people who leak to news outlets ‘should be shot’

• Trump said leakers should be shot at an Arizona rally, calling them “the scum of the earth” and blaming a leak for delaying a strike against Iran.
• His remarks shifted attention from his economic pitch, even as voters focus on rising prices, fuel costs and weak approval ratings before the midterm vote.
• He also stepped up attacks on the press, blocked some outlets, and backed leak probes, raising fears of a chilling effect on whistleblowers and accountability.

BULLHEAD CITY, Arizona – US President Donald Trump called for executing individuals who leak information to the media during a campaign rally as he railed against what he saw as critical coverage of the Iran war.

“In my opinion, leakers should be shot. They should be shot. In the old days, we used to shoot leakers,” Trump said at the campaign event in Bullhead City, Arizona. “Leakers should be dealt with very, very strongly. They’re real. To me, they’re the scum of the earth.”

Trump on Oct 14 cited what he cast as a strike against Iran that involved US military assets from Missouri, saying a leak of key details forced him to reschedule that operation. He did not specify which operation he was referring to and provided no direct evidence that a leak to the media had forced the Pentagon to alter any military plans.

Trump and his allies have long fulminated against what they see as unfavourable coverage of the war on Iran, a conflict the President once said would take weeks – and often claims will end soon – but is now in its eighth month with no signs of concluding. 

Trump’s rallies are often freewheeling affairs, with speeches stretching well over an hour long that often highlight cultural wedge issues to mobilise his base. While he always makes a point to talk up the economy and defend his record including on tariffs, he regularly weaves to incorporate off-topic matters unrelated to the pocketbook issues concerning voters.

Yet Trump’s focus on leakers – as well as other issues like demanding his political adversaries take cognitive tests – threatens to distract from his overall closing message ahead of midterm elections widely expected to centre around affordability and the economy. His campaign stop in Arizona and Montana was part of a month-long campaign blitz to boost Republican candidates ahead of the Nov 3 midterm vote.

The rallies marked his third and fourth this week, following stops in Ohio and Alaska, with more events slated later this week and next, including in Georgia, with plans to continue barnstorming right up to Election Day.

The president’s low approval ratings have hampered Republicans across the map as voters lament his handling of the economy and climbing costs for food and fuel, driven in part by the war on Iran. 

US consumer prices rose in September by the most since April, driven by a surge in fuel costs. A Bureau of Labour Statistics report earlier on Oct 14 suggested price increases are eroding pay cheques and reinforced expectations for more Federal Reserve interest rate hikes in the months ahead.

Trump has called on the Fed to cut rates instead. Speaking at an event in Kalispell, Montana, he insisted “we have very little inflation” and denied that his tariffs helped boost consumer prices.

Trump, unbowed by concerns over his own polling, has repeatedly urged supporters to pretend like he is on the ballot and warned that Democratic wins could impair his policy agenda. 

Meanwhile, he has sought to assuage voter concerns about the economy, the election’s dominant issue. On multiple occasions on Oct 14, he insisted that high prices at the pump will fall after the war with Iran concludes, despite the lack of a clear off ramp, and touted fresh investment projects.

That economic messaging has struggled to break through with voters more attuned to day-to-day pocketbook concerns and wage growth.

Trump’s busy campaign itinerary, with stops primarily in very conservative areas of the country, underscores how Republicans are playing defence even in states that are traditional strongholds or that he carried in the 2024 election.

He has long clashed with the press, assailing critical reports as “fake news”, but has escalated his efforts to target the media in his second term, including barring reporters from MS Now, Politico and CNN from the White House due to what he described as unfavourable coverage.

Those outlets sued Trump, alleging that he violated their First Amendment rights and winning temporary relief.

A federal judge late on Oct 13 said those three outlets could continue to have access to the White House grounds while the lawsuit against the administration proceeds. BLOOMBERG