MSNBC, ABC, Other Corporate Media Outlets Defend Trump 'Bloodbath’ Deception

Donald Trump predicted that re-electing Joe Biden would stir an economic "bloodbath," while specifically referencing the automotive industry at a rally last weekend.

However, various legacy media organizations skimped over the topic of Trump's remarks. Rather, journalists claimed the "bloodbath" phrasing referenced Trump's plans to provoke a civil war in the event he loses the election in November.

On Sunday, nearly every headline Google generated on the topic led users to an out-of-context framing of Trump's speech: 

Let us review those headlines:

Politico: "Trump says country faces 'bloodbath' if Biden wins in November."

NBC News: "Trump says there will be a 'bloodbath' if he loses the election."

CBS News: "In Ohio campaign rally, Trump says there will be a "bloodbath" if he loses November election."

ABC News: "Trump warns while discussing the economy that there would be a quote 'bloodbath' if he is not re-elected in November."

Deception at its finest. 

Hosts and journalists tried to deceive their gullible consumers, hoping to deter votes away from Donald Trump. Call it media interference, if you wish.

Donald Trump

Media outlets have since pivoted away from crookedly framing Trump's "bloodbath" comments to defending their intentions.

MSNBC host Jen Psaki led the way. 

"We all know by now that Trump's allusions to political violence are not merely rhetorical—his supporters take them literally. That's part of the big problem here. And he knows that too," Psaki said. 

"So no, we did not miss the full context [of the bloodbath comment]. This was not some meandering off-message comment. This is his message."

MSNBC historian Michael Beschloss claimed the original interpretations of "bloodbath" were fair given that Trump's rhetoric includes the same elements of fascism that led to the Holocaust in Nazi Germany.  

Huh?

We will let him explain:

"In a way, Donald Trump has made it easier because when he tells you he'll be a dictator for a day — we all know that dictators don't resign after a day. When he uses the word 'bloodbath,' yes it was in the context of an automobile industry speech, but he knew exactly what he was saying."

And then there's Joe Scarborough.

He doubled down on claims that Trump does, in fact, plan to incite a civil war if he loses:

"Obviously, he’s talking about a bloodbath for America," Scarborough said without any doubt. "It’s just bullshit."

"Trump knew what he was doing. We’re not stupid. Americans aren’t stupid. He was talking about a bloodbath. Sometimes a bloodbath means a bloodbath. And when he finishes by saying, ‘And that’s just going to be the least of it.’ Seriously? These people may be stupid, we’re not."

What a kook.

Susan Glasser is a staff writer for the New Yorker, a once reliable source for American politics. She informed her readers that while the media misled the audience on the meaning behind "bloodbath", Donald Trump is to blame.

"I think in a way, we are all desensitized and inured to the extraordinarily remarkable and very at times un-American and threatening things that the former president is saying. I'm not saying it's easy to understand how to cover it. I think we have to cover it," she said.

"When the former president, who's already incited violence among his followers, says that there's going to be a bloodbath. What? After the election, if he does not win, he is telling us what he is going to do," Glasser continued.

Not quite.

This was an intentional effort by the media to further defame Trump as a treacherous, Soviet-like threat to democracy. 

Trump leads Biden in most polls and betting markets. He's the favorite to win the 2024 election. The corporate media, like its allies in the tech industry, will do their part to prevent that. 

They did in 2020. They'll do it again in 2024. They've already started.