President Donald Trump launched a scathing attack on Wednesday against an alleged leaker accused of disclosing the departure and arrival times of U.S. bombers ahead of planned strikes on Iran, claiming the disclosure compromised the mission and declaring that “leakers should be shot.”
Trump Describes Compromised B-2 Mission
Speaking at a rally in Arizona, Trump recounted the details of the operation involving B-2 stealth bombers, which he described as “those beautiful B-2 — the wings.”
“And they went there and they were being waited,” Trump said. “I mean, Iran was waiting for them, and they never got to see him. 1:00 in the morning, they flew over and, you know, somebody leaked, some sleazebag.”
The president expressed outrage that specific operational details had been made public, stating that the information appeared in major news outlets.
“They ought to go to jail. But they leaked that we were leaving at 1207 from Missouri,” Trump said. “And it was in the New York Times, CNN they leaked the time we were leaving, the time we were arriving.”
Military Assured Mission Could Proceed
According to Trump, he consulted with Gen. Dan Caine, who provided assurances that the military could still carry out the operation despite the security breach.
“I said, let’s change the time. So I called off the raid,” Trump said, adding that the strikes ultimately took place two days later.
The president explained the tactical reasoning behind the decision to proceed with the original timing.
“Now we can do the raid. Let’s leave it exactly the same time. That was the only time that they didn’t expect us to be used,” Trump said. “We used the exact same time, but they leaked.”
Trump Escalates Rhetoric on Leakers
The president concluded his remarks with a stark call for severe consequences for those responsible for unauthorized disclosures of classified military information.
“Leakers should be. In my opinion, leakers should be shot,” Trump added.
The comments represent an escalation in Trump’s long-standing criticism of government leaks, particularly those involving sensitive military operations. The president has repeatedly called for aggressive prosecution of individuals who disclose classified information to the press.
