Over the weekend, former and potentially future President Donald Trump held a rally in Dayton, Ohio, in support of Senate candidate Bernie Moreno. During his remarks, Trump warned about a "bloodbath" if he's not elected in November, with the full context of his words making it clear he was discussing the auto industry. That didn't stop the liberal mainstream media from taking their cues from the Biden campaign and out-of-context, deceptive clips. It was certainly a hot topic for the Sunday shows.
We are witnessing the invention of the "bloodbath" hoax in real-time
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) March 17, 2024
Unfortunately for them, we have 𝕏
Media narrative: Full context: pic.twitter.com/jaYDvtGomn
CBS News' "Face the Nation" spoke to former Vice President Mike Pence, who briefly ran for president against Trump in the Republican primary. Pence made clear to host Margaret Brennan, "I cannot in good conscience endorse Donald Trump," which was what many took away from that segment. But, he also addressed the framing of the bloodbath remarks.
As one of Brennan's first questions for Pence as she played those remarks, she asked, "What does that mean?" Adding, "And given how divided the country is, does that language concern you, particularly when it comes to political violence?"
"I woke up this morning seeing online all the discussion about bloodbath. And, as you've just reflected, the president was clearly talking about the impact of imports devastating the American automotive industry," he pointed out.
Although Pence had just said before that part of his response that he "commend[ed]" Brennan, she went on to claim that Trump's remarks were "a little muddled." Pence still maintained an, "I think it was," when asked if the former president's statements and intentions were clear.
The segment then moved away from those remarks. Speaking of making things clear, Pence shared, "I want people to know, look, the president and I, it was very clear for four years, the president and I have different styles." He also reminded, "We're different men" and that his "differences with him are not over style, it's not over language" and "it's not personal" when it comes to why Pence won't endorse Trump.
Although the "Face the Nation" X account shared the clip, it curiously decided not to focus on Pence's clear acknowledgment of what Trump meant with his remarks.
.@Mike_Pence responds to Donald Trump's comments, in remarks about electric vehicles, about a "bloodbath" happening in the U.S. if he's not reelected: "It was clear for four years the president and I have different styles. We're different men." pic.twitter.com/evnUWGDaQT
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) March 17, 2024
During NBC News' "Meet the Press," host Kristen Walker claimed that the president's comments were "ominous." She also went on to note, "The Trump campaign tried to clarify saying he was talking about the auto industry and tariffs but the Biden campaign seized on the comments saying Mr. Trump is doubling down on his threats of political violence." The Biden campaign not only "seized," it did so with the help from its allies in the media.
Welker also brought up Pence's failure to endorse Trump just before she welcomed her guest, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA). "Do you think that those comments were appropriate?" Welker began by asking.
Cassidy, making clear from the start that he's not a fan of Trump, claimed, "The general tone of the speech is why many Americans continue to wonder, 'Should President Trump be president?' That kind of rhetoric, it's always on the edge, maybe doesn't cross, maybe does depending upon your perspective."
Cassidy's criticism is hardly surprising, given that he has been openly critical of Trump before and was one of the Republican senators who voted to convict him in his second impeachment trial, as Welker acknowledged when introducing the senator. That trial didn't even take place until Trump had already left office.
However, Cassidy did have a telling point about the rhetoric he expressed concern over. "I also think, though, that the mainstream media contributes to it. If you take the one about the bloodbath, which arguably could be about an economic bloodbath, not about kind of street violence related to the election, then it gives his defenders something to focus on, something – which was distorted," he added.
"So, yes, he always walks up to the edge on that rhetoric. And again, that's why people are concerned. But sometimes the mainstream media, whether they want to or not, can't resist and they go just a little bit too far, which distracts from what could be the impact," Cassidy summed up, although Welker seemed particularly interested in how Cassidy said "it walks up to the line."
When asked about the Biden administration's claim about "political violence," Cassidy made another key point. "You could also look up the definition of bloodbath, and it could be an economic disaster. And so, if he's speaking about the auto industry, in particular in Ohio, then you can take it with a little bit more context. That's why I say you walk up to the line." While Cassidy acknowledged the Biden administration's perspective and how he said "there's always just that little bit of tension here," the context of speaking in Ohio is absolutely crucial.
The rather particular angle extended to coverage of the appearances as well. "Cassidy says Trump's 'blood bath' rhetoric concerning to some voters," read the headline from The Hill.
WATCH: After Trump warned of a “bloodbath” if he’s not re-elected, @SenBillCassidy (R-La.) says that tone “is why many Americans continue to wonder, ‘Should President Trump be president?’"
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) March 17, 2024
But he adds it “arguably could be about an economic bloodbath." pic.twitter.com/tl2KA4oFVK
Wait until NPCs discover the dictionary pic.twitter.com/bIpjbVz5s7
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) March 17, 2024
CNN's "State of the Union" had on Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who gave a particularly biased account.
As part of her response when asked by host Dana Bash "Should Donald Trump receive intelligence briefings?" Pelosi went on a whole rant with debunked talking points as part of her response.
"So, I would hope they would get some commitment from him, as they do from all of us when we get briefed, that they understand the importance of this information and that it not be shared," she said about the intelligence community. "The experience has not been positive with him, but, hopefully, those advising him would say, grow up, live up to your responsibilities," Pelosi continued regarding Trump.
Pelosi then launched into an unhinged rant, all while Bash let her speak without pushback. "But we just have to win this election, because he's even predicting a bloodbath. What does that mean? He's going to exact a bloodbath? There's something wrong here," she claimed.
"How respectful I am of the American people and their goodness, but how much more do they have to see from him to understand that this isn't what our country is about? Praising Hitler, praising the Russians, honestly, I mean, condemning our soldiers for losing or dying in war or being captured in war. He said, what's wrong with Russia? They defeated Hitler," Pelosi continued, bringing up more debunked narratives.
Bash merely interjected with a "yes."
"So, in any event, yes, I think he should get the information, but because he is a candidate for president, he should be held to a standard that the rest of us all have been," Pelosi later went on to finally admit, before the segment came to a close.
Nancy Pelosi simultaneously floats the "bloodbath" hoax (never happened), the "praising Hitler" hoax (never happened), and the "losers" hoax (never happened) pic.twitter.com/yOB3uMyk92
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 17, 2024
When Bash did bring it up herself, when speaking with Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD), she failed to provide the more clear context as other Sunday shows had done. "Now, the Trump campaign says that he was talking about autoworkers, but he also called jailed January 6 rioters hostages and unbelievable patriots," she felt the need to share.
Even when Rounds provided an appropriate context that Bash would not, Bash kept at it, harping on language she found to be unacceptable.
"With regard to the autoworkers that he was talking to, he is showing them or he's telling them what has been an economic downturn for them," the senator explained. "Their wages are not going up as fast as the cost of living has been," he continued, laying out how, "Clearly, the economy is not working the way that it should, and I think [Trump is] focusing on that. And the real question that he's going to be asking is, he's going to be asking, are you better off today than what you were four years ago? And the answer to that is, is, for the vast majority of these individuals is, no, we're not. And that's the reason why he is appealing to them, and it's the reason why the Biden administration is in real trouble."
Republican @SenatorRounds tells @DanaBashCNN “I'm endorsing the Republican nominee for the presidency, and if that's Mr. Trump, then that's the best choice of the two choices that we have got.” pic.twitter.com/Fp4xGfFNKE
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) March 17, 2024
"So you just talked about the economy, but the question is about, first of all, just the term 'bloodbath,' whether, given what happened on January 6, that's a term he should be using in any context," Bash responded with. "But, more importantly, he did also call the January 6 rioters hostages and called them patriots. Given all of that, will you endorse him for president? You endorsed Tim Scott before. Are you now going to endorse him? Trump."
Rounds reminded that Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), who dropped out of the presidential race in November and endorsed Trump not long after, had been his first choice. "I'm endorsing the Republican nominee for the presidency. And if that's Mr. Trump, then that's the best choice of the two choices that we have got," he made clear when pressed for follow-up.
Biden, meanwhile, has continued to repeat other fact-checked falsehoods that he used to get him elected in the first place and posting them to his X account on Monday afternoon.
Donald Trump has shown us who he is, time and time again. pic.twitter.com/pBqyMTloHX
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) March 18, 2024
