Trump's 'bloodbath' rhetoric draws scrutiny

It's "hard not to be worried when a president who inspired a violent insurrection ... is using language like that"

(Image credit: Kamil Krzaczynski / AFP via Getty Images)

published 18 March 2024

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."

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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."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.