Did Media Outlets Fairly Report on Trump's 'Bloodbath' Comment?

Following Donald Trump’s “bloodbath” comment, voices across the spectrum are divided over the meaning of Trump’s words.

Key Quote: While speaking in Ohio on Saturday, Trump discussed his plan to impose steep tariffs on Chinese cars manufactured in Mexico. After this, Trump stated, “Now, if I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a bloodbath for the whole — that’s gonna be the least of it. It’s gonna be a bloodbath for the country. That’ll be the least of it. But they’re not going to sell those cars. They’re building massive factories.”

A Literal Threat? A writer in Salon (Left bias) stated that Trump’s statement was “a threat, and it's a literal one.” The writer goes on to state that Trump’s comments often get “bogged down with the bad faith debate about what he ‘really’ meant.” As a result, the press “gets dissuaded from covering Trump's violent rhetoric with the heft it deserves.” The writer concluded that “Trump’s violence” will only be known to Americans “if the press keeps up a steady drumbeat.”

Dishonest Coverage? Jeffrey Blehar (Lean Right bias) criticized outlets framing Trump’s statements as literal, stating that “the media aren’t feeding on Trump, as they seem to believe; they’re feeding on themselves, eating away at their reputations and ability to persuade.” Blehar concluded, “When journalists lament about the death of public trust in their profession, what they fail to understand is that it wasn’t a murder. It was a suicide — and a death by a thousand cuts, at that.”