Trump says government leakers “should be shot” after recounting leak of planned Iran strike

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that government officials who leak sensitive military information “should be shot,” while recounting the disclosure of details about a planned U.S. strike on Iran.

“In my opinion, leakers should be shot,” Trump told a campaign rally in Bullhead City, Arizona. “In the old days, we used to shoot leakers.”

Trump said someone had leaked the planned departure and arrival times of B-2 stealth bombers ahead of a strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, including information that appeared in The New York Times and CNN. He called leakers “the scum of the earth” and said they should be dealt with “very, very strongly.”

Trump said the Iran operation was intended to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon capable of killing millions of people. He also joked that U.S.-Israeli strikes may have eliminated too many senior Iranian leaders, saying, “I probably went a little too far. I’m sorry, because I don’t know who the hell we’re dealing with anymore.”

During the same rally, Trump defended accepting a Boeing 747 from Qatar, saying, “When they give you a 747 you say two words: thank you.” He also described Elon Musk as “80% super genius” and “20%” problematic, before calling him “a great guy.”

Trump made the remarks while campaigning for Republican candidates in Arizona ahead of the November midterm elections.