'Bloodbath' rhetoric: Here's how 8 of Donald Trump's critics, allies reacted to his controversial remark

8 reactions to Donald Trump’s ‘bloodbath’ remark

In a fiery speech at a Dayton, Ohio rally, former President Donald Trump warned of a "bloodbath" if he loses the election, alongside branding migrants as "animals." Speaking in support of Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, Trump painted a grim picture of the country's future under a Biden presidency, declaring, "If I don´t get elected, it's going to be a bloodbath for the whole - that's going to be the least of it. It's going to be a bloodbath for the country," the 77-year-old warned. While the reaction from the liberal media was swift and fierce - characterized by what can only be described as a meltdown - Trump's words sparked a variety of reactions from other political figures.

What did Donald Trump say?

Former President Donald Trump's "bloodbath" remark drew criticism from various quarters, who deemed it a threat. However, supporters argued it was misinterpreted, citing Trump's broader focus on trade, particularly regarding foreign car imports, which he addressed during a Dayton rally. Trump was, in fact, warning China against expecting tariff-free car sales to the US. "Mexico has taken over a period of 30 years, 34 percent of the automobile manufacturing business in our country," Trump said at the Dayton rally. "China now is building a couple of massive plants where they're going to build the cars in Mexico, and they think that they're going to sell those cars into the United States with no tax at the border. Let me tell you something, China. If you're listening President Xi, and you and I are friends, but he understands the way I deal. Those big monster car manufacturing plants that you're building in Mexico right now, if you think you're going to get that and not hire Americans and you're going to sell the cars to us - no - we're going to put a 100 percent tariff on every car that comes across the line. If I don't get elected, it's going to be a bloodbath for the whole - that's going to be the least of it. It's going to be a bloodbath for the country," he added.

1. Joe Biden

In response to Trump's remarks, President Biden's campaign issued a statement condemning his language and characterizing it as a threat of political violence. Biden campaign spokesperson James Singer stated, “This is who Donald Trump is: a loser who gets beat by over 7 million votes and then instead of appealing to a wider mainstream audience doubles down on his threats of political violence. He wants another January 6, but the American people are going to give him another electoral defeat this November because they continue to reject his extremism, his affection for violence, and his thirst for revenge.”

2. Nancy Pelosi

In an interview with CNN's Dana Bash on 'State of the Union', former Speaker Nancy Pelosi voiced concern over Trump's rhetoric. “We just have to win this election because he’s even predicting a bloodbath,” Pelosi remarked. “What does that mean? He's going to exact a bloodbath? There’s something wrong here. 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?” She continued, “Praising Hitler, praising the Russians, honestly, I mean, condemning our soldiers for losing or dying in war or being captured in war.” The former speaker urged voters to consider these issues while casting their ballots in November. “There’s something wrong here. So I just say, with all the respect in the world for voters and their right to make their decision, weigh these equities. How much are you concerned about … women having the right to choose or LGBT people having the right to their lives, that you would vote for him?” Pelosi added.

3. Bill Cassidy

Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, speaking in a Sunday interview, highlighted the precarious nature of former President Trump's rhetoric, pinpointing it as a source of concern for many voters contemplating a potential second Trump administration. “The general tone of the speech is why, 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 told NBC News’s 'Meet the Press'. “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. 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 added.

4. Mike Turner

Representative Mike Turner of Ohio voiced his dissent against former President Trump's recent remarks concerning migrants during a Sunday interview. Turner made it clear that while he disagreed with Trump's comments, he blamed President Biden for the current situation at the border. In his statement, Turner emphasized, “I think the American public disagrees with those, but I do think that people see that Donald Trump is the only candidate in this race that’s going to be able to fix this crisis. Joe Biden created the crisis at the border.”

5. Raphael Warnock

Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock of Georgia, speaking with Reverend Al Sharpton on MSNBC, urged viewers to take former President Trump's recent comments seriously, labeling him as "the insurrectionist president." Warnock highlighted the connection between Trump's rhetoric and ongoing attacks on democracy, citing voter suppression as a manifestation of such violence. “We ought to take him seriously. This is the insurrectionist president” he said. “That violence has now metastasized in this continuing attack on the dignity and integrity of our democracy through voter suppression. This election is a binary choice and we're being reminded time and time again how much is at stake.”

6. JD Vance

Senator JD Vance of Ohio, who was present at the rally, took to the airwaves on Sunday to defend and clarify former President Trump's remarks. In an interview with 'Fox and Friends', Vance sought to contextualize Trump's statements, asserting, “And now you have this ridiculous attack on Donald Trump coming out, like we were all there, we heard exactly what he said." Vance elaborated on Trump's message, particularly regarding the electric vehicle industry, stating, “He was saying that if you allow the Chinese to run the [electric vehicle] industry, which is what Biden’s policies are promoting, you’re going to destroy the industry in this country. It’s going to be a bloodbath for the auto industry. He’s 100 percent correct about that.” A staunch ally of Trump, Vance criticized the media's portrayal of Trump's remarks, suggesting they were taken out of context. He remarked, “And again, I think it shows how low the media is willing to go to cover for Joe Biden. They know that they cannot win this election if it’s about Joe Biden’s record, the border policies, the inflation, and so forth.”

7. Glenn Kirschner

Former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner criticized former President Trump's "bloodbath" remarks on his 'Justice Matters' podcast, rejecting Trump's attempt to walk back his words. Kirschner highlighted Trump's pending felony charges and condemned his escalating rhetoric as a threat to democracy, especially in light of the January 6 attack. "He is a threat to everyone in the United States of America," he said. "He is a threat to democracy. He launched an attack on January 6 against our democracy and it turned out to be a deadly attack. And he launched it with far less inflammatory language than he just used at the rally on Saturday: 'There will be a bloodbath in this country.' Do you understand me? That's what he just said. He's actually ratcheted up the recklessness and the violence of his rhetoric. And he's on pretrial release in four felony cases." He urged the country to move forward from the chaos caused by Trump's words. "He shouldn't be allowed to endanger our nation and her people and our democracy with this kind of violence-inducing rhetoric, more reckless than his rhetoric on January 6," Kirschner said. "This is institutional insanity if the institutions of government just receive this with a shrug. Do what the law provides, revoke Donald Trump on release, detain him pending trial. And for gosh sakes, let our country begin to move forward again."

8. Mary Trump

Former President Donald Trump's estranged niece, Mary Trump, delivered a sobering message in response to her uncle's "bloodbath" remark at a rally. Taking to X, formerly Twitter, she issued a stark warning about the gravity of his statement. "Donald Trump does not deserve the benefit of the doubt and this isn't a f***ing joke. His statement is both a threat and a promise. The corporate media needs to start acting accordingly," she wrote.