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“Bloodbath” Hoax Latest Evidence of Media Outrage Fatigue

Posted on Thursday, March 21, 2024
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by Andrew Shirley
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48 Comments
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AMAC EXCLUSIVE

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Following a flood of sensationalist – and false – headlines suggesting that former President Donald Trump said there would be an armed revolt and mass violence if he loses this November, the public has reacted with a collective shrug. It seems that after years of countless left-wing efforts to weaponize the press against Democrats’ political enemies, the American people have grown weary of and wise to the media’s schemes.

During a rally in Dayton, Ohio, on March 16, Trump warned about the threat of China manufacturing cars in Mexico to avoid U.S. tariffs, saying it would be a “bloodbath” for the auto industry if Biden has another four years in the White House.

Democrats and the media quickly pounced on the comment, taking it out of context to allege that Trump was threatening civil war or mass insurrection if he does not win this November.

“Trump says there will be a ‘bloodbath’ if he loses election,” NBC News declared. “Trump says country faces ‘bloodbath’ if Biden wins in November,” read a headline from Politico. Virtually identical headlines went out from CBS, CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and a host of other legacy media outlets.

Of course, as was clear to anyone listening to the entirety of Trump’s remarks and not just a few seconds-long clip of them, the former president was only making the point that a second Biden term would be a disaster for the U.S. auto industry.

But despite the media’s best efforts to generate widespread public outrage, the story quickly fizzled and then faded from the headlines.

Noted Trump hater Ian Bremmer posted on X that “the Trump ‘bloodbath’ headlines are disingenuous and embarrassing.” Los Angeles Times opinion columnist Jonah Goldberg – another outspoken Trump critic – even worried that the “bloodbath” hoax was “only helping” the former president. Seeming to confirm that analysis, the Trump campaign has since turned the brouhaha into a fundraising opportunity.

“Every time the media exaggerates or misleads on a specific story, it provides an opportunity for Trump and his Praetorian Guard to claim that the media exaggerate or mislead on every story,” Goldberg writes. “This has been the go-to strategy for Trumpworld from the Russian-collusion story onward. And it has worked.”

Goldberg is correct that the media’s deception indeed gives Trump all the ammo he needs to expose their corruption and dishonesty. What he seems to miss, however, is that Trump’s “strategy” has “worked” because his claim that the media spins every story to try to damage him politically is accurate, and is a claim that many Americans believe because they have seen the evidence of it with their own eyes.

The most notable aspect of the bloodbath hoax is not how much the media contorted themselves to portray Trump as a bloodthirsty aspiring dictator, or even how shameless they have been in refusing to back down once their deception was quickly uncovered. Rather, it is how little most Americans outside of already committed Democrat voters seemed to care at all.

One major factor driving this collective ambivalence is likely record low trust in the media – something which itself is driven by the media’s repeated attempts to push narratives just as ridiculous as the bloodbath hoax. According to Axios, “Only 32 percent of the population reports having ‘a great deal’ or ‘a fair amount’ of confidence that the media reports the news in a full, fair and accurate way.” 39 percent of Americans also say they “don’t trust the media at all,” an all-time high.

But more than just not trusting the media, many Americans simply seem exhausted by the constant deluge of hyperbole and apocalyptic messaging emanating from their TV and phone screens. The media has already spent the majority of the 2024 political season referring to Donald Trump as a once-in-a-lifetime “existential threat” to American democracy. Many outlets routinely publish articles comparing Trump to Hitler and suggesting a “totalitarian” regime would emerge during a second Trump term.

A recent Pew poll found that 65 percent of Americans “say they always or often feel exhausted when thinking about politics.” The media’s coverage of Trump specifically and of politics generally – which frames how most Americans think about politics – undoubtedly has something to do with this finding.

Aside from Trump, Democrats and the media have employed similar hyperbole to suggest that electing any conservative would be a surefire way to end American democracy as we know it.

In 2021, for instance, Los Angeles Times columnist Erica Smith called Republican California gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder “the black face of white supremacy,” suggesting that Elder, a black man, would impose a white supremacist agenda on the Golden State.

In 2014, DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz stated that Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker “has given women the back of his hand” because he believed in abortion limits. She then said the entire “Republican tea party” was “grabbing us by the hair and pulling us back.” The media dutifully defended her claims.

In 2012, then-vice president Joe Biden proclaimed that Mitt Romney would put black people “in chains.” That same year, the Chairman of the Democrat Party compared the GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan to “Joseph Goebbels,” the Nazi propaganda minister. Once again, both remarks got favorable media coverage.

In 2004, The Guardian suggested that then-President George W. Bush’s grandfather helped Hitler rise to power and that the Bush family were part of the “financial architects of Naziism.” Neither claim had any basis in fact.

This pattern of deception was sent into overdrive with Trump’s ascension in 2016. But eight years later, it may be the case that the American people have simply had enough, and the media’s favorite tactic to slander and defame conservatives simply won’t work any longer.

Andrew Shirley is a veteran speechwriter and AMAC Newsline columnist. His commentary can be found on X at @AA_Shirley.

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granky
granky
6 months ago

Our MSM is just an arm of the deep state controlled by the liberal elites. They have perfected the art of the spin, taking bits and pieces of a story and making it the complete opposite of the truth. They have no credibility.

Nick
Nick
6 months ago

The media is no different than the Democrats. If their lips are moving they are lying. They have pretty well become irrelevant. Journalism used to be an honorable occupation, now it’s just pure garbage

JohnH
JohnH
6 months ago

Used Car Salesmen must be relishing in their new elevated level since many now rate “news reporters” and mainstream media personalities at the lowest level of confidence and trust.

Alaintha
Alaintha
6 months ago

Americans have known for sometime now that All the News media companies are infected with greed & misinformation, as well as the “actors” that desire their own air-time for their own self serving interests.
The only way you can know what is happening on the Hill and local government is to search, subscribe and read about the daily events yourself AND, even then, you’ll find you some times question those reports.
The blessing in disguise is the fact that the far left reports are so ridiculous, No One Believes them!`Those that do believe the reports, these people will believe anything that is shown on the television or the internet!
Take news for what it is…..another scripted reality show, that is aired for entertainment purposes.

Donald Warner
Donald Warner
6 months ago

Trump could find a cure for cancer, end homelessness, and feed ever hungry mouth on earth and the democrats/media would vilify him for not doing it sooner.

uncleferd
uncleferd
6 months ago

The Democrat-Sponsoring Media, much like President Biden himself, lies more that a troubled adolescent.
This surreal level of dishonesty has thoroughly poisoned our body politik, and brought us to the lowest expectations that the American public has had in its leadership during the entire history of this nation.
Impulsive and pre-meditated lying have not been the only attributes of this sickness that has been forced upon our nation, however. Even before he was elected, Candidate Trump and his campaign were illegally surveiled and slandered by President Obama’s FBI, as Director Comey sponsored their lies to the FISA court to obtain the FISA warrant, and President Obama’s Department of Justice, wearing their blindfold, energetically refused to investigate… even after Comey illegally leaked invalid information to the press. Of course, all of the above is only a small slice of what took place, illegally, to doom the Trump campaign and Presidency.
When a government surrenders to corruption, as this government clearly has, the voters need to put aside their prejudices, examine facts, and vote to amputate what is rotten. It is now time to take that action.

Felix
Felix
6 months ago

I think the “Bloodbath” MAGA supporters should initiate, in reference to the New York $500 million sham suite Latitia James “won”, every AMAC, MAGA and people, no matter what their political persuasion, that see the absolute political persecution and abuse of the legal system to disenfranchise and bankrupt the absolute leading candidate for President of the United States, a boycott of every product, service and business originating from the state and city of New York!! I would like to see some research entity come up with a list for patriots to reference to get the attention of the citizens and businesses in New York.

Thinking
Thinking
6 months ago

Lies told over and over again becomes the truth. Till it starts biting the teller of the lies in the ass. We are at this moment in that phase of the dems plan to eliminate Trump at all cost. But people see with their own eyes what is happening. The dems spin isn’t working anymore. Can America be saved? Before it turns into a communist country? I have my doubts. The deep state has its tentacles everywhere. We have the dems in charge to make enemies of those Americans that have another opinion. In their eyes it is not an opinion you are the enemy. It takes guts in America to be an independent thinker be you a Republican or independent voter. We are all smeared as domestic terrorists Nazis fascists etc. Ole Joe keeps forgetting he is president of all the citizens and legal residents of this country. Not only of the migrants or his dem base. The SOTU is an example of the kind of president we have. He didn’t care about the father of the soldier who was killed at Abbu Gate. Why didn’t he call for this father to be released immediately. That meant he had to admit mistakes were made. And ole Joe with the deep state never apologize only put the blame on Trump.

Lover of God and America!
Lover of God and America!
6 months ago

GREAT ARTICLE! Proof how disgusting the media has become

Joe
Joe
6 months ago

This is old news. I and several others posted about this earlier this week about how the lamestream media took DJT’s comments out of context, just like they have done before. Buckle up, because the lying voice of the dummybrats is only going to ramp up through the election. Like several others have posted today, I sincerely hope voters are getting sick of the lying media’s disinformation tactics to the point that they get out and vote Trump back into the White House, to such an extent that (although the liberals will still cry foul) the election cannot be contested.

Tim Toroian
Tim Toroian
6 months ago

The leftist media is not the scum that floats on the swamp water; it’s the slime at the bottom.

zoe frost
zoe frost
6 months ago

The Commie/Globalist elites own/run over 95% of our media outlets. People who want our Constitutional Republic destroyed love our American TASS/Pravda. This corrupt, traitorous MSM takes news and either obfuscates or edits to fit their evil, Republic-destroying narrative…and useful idiots too stupid to understand they are viewing/reading info prepared by these traitors, cluelessly parrot the lies they hear/read.
After a relative said Trump is dangerous, calling for a bloodbath, I corrected him saying Trump was referring to the auto industry. He called me a liar! It’s true, the traitor’s indoctrination and 24/7 propaganda is working. We have a Republic…but with traitors in power like JoeBama calling themselves “patriots” who will protect our “democracy” (lying their corrupt traitorous faces off with words to bamboozle the stupid, repeated word-for-word by MSM propaganda spewers)…have real patriots asking, will we keep it?
Here’s a fact: every D vote is a vote to ensure the destruction of our freedoms and opportunities Constitutional Republic the traitors despise! We got a reprieve from O’s fundamental transformation into totalitarian tyranny when Trump was elected, only to have traitor puppets JoeBama put the destruction back, on warp speed. We must elect Trump, a proven patriot who can right this sinking ship the traitors are deliberately destroying, and bring us back to safety/prosperity/energy independence/the rule of law in November!

David Millikan
David Millikan
6 months ago

Why doesn’t the liberal media get outraged why the DHS releases 200,000 Illegal Alien Terrorist into the United States to commit more crimes here illegally like rape, murder, molester children, robberies, kidnapping, etc., etc. because the DHS didn’t file paperwork?
Where’s the outrage from the liberal media on this?

David Millikan
David Millikan
6 months ago

Notice how the liberal media acts like little children and only report things that never tell the Truth about ALL the crimes Dictator Beijing biden and Hunter have committed and are still committing? Even TV shows and movies for the past 4 years have a 2nd grader mentality and the liberal media with entertainment are still dropping.
Moooo!!!

Edward
Edward
6 months ago

Blowing the lid off of the the fake “news” media is one of Presidents Trumps greatest accomplishments.

Stephen Russell
Stephen Russell
6 months ago

Getting damn tired of the Damn Media “edits”on News
Old hat & dated

anna hubert
anna hubert
6 months ago

Media are desperate for attention They want to be relevant and important They know they have no ability but are desperately trying to tell us they are not brainless and clueless clowns for hire

Louis
Louis
6 months ago

It seems to me there should be a distinction between free speech and libel.

Robert Zuccaro
Robert Zuccaro
6 months ago

Another recent example: Trump says Democrats hate Israel = firestorm. Biden says Trump gates Hispanics = crickets chirp. Remember the kid at the Mall CNN smeared for simply smiling at a Native American jackwagon banging on a drum in his face? If Trump needs a little cash to pay off Herr Latisha he might consider a libel suit. Take your pick from “Russian hookers urinating on him” to “bloodbath”. He’s got about 6 years of CHA-CHING from the media!

Lauramerrone
Lauramerrone
6 months ago

Why don’t any liberal media ever get sued for libel? Seems they always get away with it…

ButchDG
ButchDG
6 months ago

The unethical left with their propaganda media loves to exaggerate, lie, mislead for power and destroy people. They concocted the biggest political lie/hoax of our time, “Trump colluded with the Russians”. The five word lie/hoax that changed the course of our nation. Anybody with a brain or a fourth grader can figure out that Trump was referring to how the market economics would play out in our auto industry, if the Chinese would flood our country with their cheap vehicles from Mexico.

Elaine
Elaine
6 months ago

This is a the result of SLOPPY journalism and perputates a lie. It is slander to pull a word from a sentence to validate your lie. A lie that is told to hurt or destroy the person who spoke that word in a completely different spoken sentence. It is absolutely disgusting that liars are not being called to be responsible for their lack of honesty. They are really “gossip” mongers not worthy to be called a journalist.

Rich
Rich
6 months ago

The only “bloodbath” would be if somehow the communist/democrats could be re-elected. Not a threat, just the facts. The American people can’t stand this “administration” much longer.

Randall L. Beatty
Randall L. Beatty
6 months ago

Anything Trump says they just make one big lie about it to make him look bad, I hope that New York looses a lot of companies for what they are doing to Trump just a big money grab on there part very dishonest people in the government there same in Atlanta just so much corruption going on.

Bob Chase
Bob Chase
6 months ago

This response is the sort of antics we might expect for children. Unable to make a reasonable argument as response they resort to nit picking a double meaning. That type of word use is common, actually more common from the LEFT!

M Erdman
M Erdman
6 months ago

It was shocking th hear former President Donald Trump say ” there will be a blood bath if I don’t win”. No explanation at the time. The media live on this kind of talk that is so threatening. Inhibition and impulsivity by politicians must be controlled at all times, or what they say is bound to be miscontrued.

M Erdman
M Erdman
6 months ago

It was shocking to hear him say it!?!

teresa
teresa
6 months ago

if only there were a blood bath – on the left, media and their voters – they all need to be before a firing squad

virginia state flag and voter box
President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the economy at a roundtable with business and labor leaders, Friday, November 18, 2022, in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House. (Official White House Photo by Erin Scott)
jim nicholson and kamala harris with bible and rosary behind them about her anti-catholic acts
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