US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that government officials who leak classified military information to the media should be shot. He made the remarks at a campaign rally in Bullhead City, Arizona.
“In my opinion, people who leak information should be shot“, Trump said, as quoted by the Associated Press. He also said that in the past, the most severe measure had been applied against people who disclosed such data.
According to him, a leak forced the US military to postpone a planned operation against Iran by several days. Trump claims that the Iranian military was expecting the US forces after the media reported on the time of their arrival and departure.
The president named the “New York Times“ and CNN as the media outlets that published the information. According to him, the leak revealed when the US units would arrive and when they would leave the area. These claims about the specific operation and the reasons for its postponement have not been confirmed publicly by US authorities.
Trump accuses the media of endangering military personnel
The US president said that publications about military plans could put military personnel at risk. He defended the tough approach to officials who reveal confidential information and said that they should be dealt with “extremely severely“.
Trump called these people “the biggest scum on earth“. According to the Associated Press, he also spoke about the possibility of such officials being sent to prison for the rest of their lives.
The conflict with the media continues
The statement is another public clash between Trump and media outlets that publish information about his administration's actions in the field of defense and national security.
In 2025, Trump threatened to sue the “New York Times“ and CNN for publications about a preliminary intelligence assessment related to the US strikes on Iran. The White House then described the assessment as incomplete and of low confidence, while the media defended their right to publish information of public interest.
At the moment, there is no information about charges being brought against specific officials in connection with the alleged leak of information, nor about an officially announced decision to resume the postponed operation.
Sources: news.bg, apnews.com, thedailybeast.com