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 Wednesday cited what he cast as a strike against Iran that involved U.S. military assets from Missouri, saying a leak of key details led him to reschedule that operation. The president 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 railed against what they see as unfavorable 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 mobilize his base. While Trump always makes a point to talk up the economy and defend his record including on tariffs, he regularly weaves to incorporate off-topic matters far from the pocketbook issues concerning voters.

Yet the president’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 center around affordability and the economy.

Trump’s campaign stop in Arizona was part of a monthlong campaign blitz to boost Republican candidates ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm vote. The rally marked his third this week, following stops in Ohio and Alaska, with events slated later Wednesday in Montana and Friday in Georgia. More are scheduled next week, 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.

U.S. consumer prices rose in September by the most since April, driven by a surge in fuel costs. A Bureau of Labor Statistics report earlier Wednesday suggested price increases are eroding paychecks and reinforced expectations for more Federal Reserve interest-rate hikes in the months ahead. Trump has called on the Fed to cut rates instead.

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

Meanwhile, Trump has sought to assuage voter concerns about the economy, the election’s dominant issue.

He’s 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 defense even in states that are traditional strongholds or that the president carried in the 2024 election.

Trump 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 unfavorable coverage.

Those outlets sued Trump, alleging that he violated their First Amendment rights and winning temporary relief. A federal judge late Tuesday said those three outlets could continue to have access to the White House grounds while the lawsuit against the administration proceeds.

Administration officials have undertaken efforts to investigate leaks involving U.S. military actions. Trump in April threatened to jail journalists who published details of a U.S. raid to rescue two downed American airman, accusing the press of endangering the rescue mission.

Critics have previously said Trump’s attempted crackdown on leakers could have a chilling effect against whistleblowers and government accountability.

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(With assistance from Jordan Fabian.)

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