Did Media Outlets Fairly Report on Trump's 'Bloodbath' Comment?
Summary from the AllSides News Team
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.”
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
Trump's call for a "bloodbath" was literal — let's not waste time pretending it was ambiguousWhen Donald Trump declared "If I don't get elected, it's going to be a bloodbath" during his rally speech in Ohio Saturday, two things were immediately and obviously true: That is a threat, and it's a literal one. No honest person could dispute that just hearing the snippet of the quote, in which Trump articulates, "It’s going to be a bloodbath for the country." Presented in the larger context, there can be zero honest doubt that this is a call for real-world violence.
In the same speech, Trump celebrated the...
From the Center
Did Donald Trump Threaten 'Bloodbath' If He Loses? Here's What HappenedDonald Trump stirred controversy at the weekend after warning of a "bloodbath" in the U.S. should he lose the 2024 presidential election.
Speaking to a crowd in Ohio, Trump had been describing plans to impose heavy tariffs on vehicle imports before making the comment, which drew a rebuke from President Joe Biden, among others.
Trump's supporters say his words were taken out of context, and that he was predicting the health of the auto industry if he didn't make it to the White House.
Trump has secured enough delegates to...
From the Right
The Media Keep Helping Trump by Lying about HimWhere were you when you heard that former president Donald Trump was reviving the specter of January 6, bluntly threatening mass bloodshed from his legions of MAGA minions should the election be stolen from him again? Were you asleep in your bed like some civilian, caught unawares by the sudden onslaught of outrage? Or were you prepared like a true warrior of the Republic, commando-scrolling your social-media account furiously, screaming about the story with comments like, “Oh my god this guy I can’t even”?
Ah, “bloodbathgate”: the scandal currently consuming...
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