Donald Trump Defends 'Bloodbath' Comment

Facts

• Former US President Donald Trump on Monday defended his controversial warning over the weekend that the country would suffer a "bloodbath" if he loses the presidential election in November to President Joe Biden.¹
• Trump blamed the "Fake News Media" on his Truth Social platform for deliberately misinterpreting his statement when he was "simply referring to imports allowed" Biden, which he claimed "are killing the automobile industry."²
• The controversy came after Trump said in a speech at a rally in Dayton, Ohio, on Saturday that if he loses the election, the result will be "a blood bath for the whole — that’s going to be the least of it. It’s going to be a blood bath for the country."³
• This followed his vow to impose "a 100% tariff" on cars made outside the US while accusing China of undermining US manufacturing. He referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping as a friend but said he won't allow China to sell cars in the US that are manufactured in Mexico.⁴
• While Biden campaign spokesman James Singer accused Trump of making "threats of political violence," the Trump campaign claimed the former president meant an "economic bloodbath" for the automobile industry.⁵
• In his Saturday speech, Trump also claimed that if he loses the November election, there will be no more US elections, at least none "that's meaningful." He further called migrants from gangs like MS-13 "not people" and "animals."⁶

Sources: ¹Newsweek, ²New York Post, ³The New York Times, ⁴NBC, ⁵CNN and ⁶Forbes.

Narratives

• Anti-Trump narrative, as provided by The Daily Beast. Trump intentionally left room for interpretation, knowing that his MAGA supporters would appreciate the message of political violence. The unmistakable nature of his statement becomes evident in the context of his other rhetoric dehumanizing immigrants, downplaying white supremacist violence, or defending his supporters convicted of storming the Capitol. Trump proved once again that he's a dangerous faux populist and calculating agitator who can't be allowed to return to the White House.
• Pro-Trump narrative, as provided by FOX News. As usual, the liberal establishment-controlled media has taken Trump's statement out of context, as he was clearly referring to the US auto industry. It should also be noted that the automobile industry is indeed facing disaster if Biden continues to promote PRC-made electric vehicles. It's by no means surprising that the left-leaning media has lost the trust of the American people, and this latest hoax will increase rather than decrease Trump's prospects of winning the election.

Predictions