What happened
Former President Donald Trump amped up his dark rhetoric about immigrants and democracy in a profanity-laced speech at a rally in Ohio on Saturday and on Fox News Sunday.
Who said what
"If I don't get elected," Trump said in Ohio, after a section about the auto industry, "it's going to be a bloodbath for the country. That'll be the least of it." If he doesn't win, he said later, "I don't think you're going to have another election." Trump called migrants "animals" and said "in some cases, they are not people." A Biden campaign spokesperson criticized Trump's escalating "threats of political violence."
The commentary
Trump says he was speaking about a "bloodbath" in the auto industry, but "the general tone of the speech is why many Americans continue to wonder, 'Should President Trump be president?'" Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said Sunday. Context matters, but "Trump often relies on plausible deniability," Dartmouth political scientist Brendan Nyhan said to NPR. And it's "hard not to be worried when a president who inspired a violent insurrection and often explicitly endorses political violence is using language like that."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What next?
"Every major Republican elected official will — and, frankly, should — be asked" about Trump's "bloodbath" comment, Politico said. And as they face similar questions about Trump's next outrage-generating comment, most of them will once again "squirm while generally either avoiding criticizing Trump and/or reiterating their support for him anyway."
-
Home Depots are the new epicenters of ICE raidsIn the Spotlight The chain has not provided many comments on the ongoing raids
-
Why does Trump keep interfering in the NYC mayoral race?Today's Big Question The president has seemingly taken an outsized interest in his hometown elections, but are his efforts to block Zohran Mamdani about political expediency or something deeper?
-
The pros and cons of banning cellphones in classroomsPros and cons The devices could be major distractions
-
Why does Trump keep interfering in the NYC mayoral race?
Today's Big Question The president has seemingly taken an outsized interest in his hometown elections, but are his efforts to block Zohran Mamdani about political expediency or something deeper?
-
Judge lets Cook stay at Fed while appealing ousterSpeed Read Trump had attempted to fire Cook over allegations of mortgage fraud
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to TrumpSpeed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raidsSpeed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
Trump threatens critics with federal chargesFeature Days after FBI agents raided John Bolton's home, Trump threatened legal action against Chris Christie
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raidSpeed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
Why are Trump's health rumors about more than just presidential fitness?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Extended absences and unexplained bruises have raised concerns about both his well-being and his administration's transparency
-
'The McDonald's menu board is one fascinating thing'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
