Former President Donald Trump slammed Democrats and the mainstream media for exploiting his "bloodbath" comment about the U.S. auto industry and for taking his words out of context.
At an Ohio rally on Saturday, Trump spoke about the danger facing the U.S car industry from imports.
"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," Trump said.
Although the former president clearly was discussing the auto industry, mainstream media outlets took the word "bloodbath" and ran with it.
NBCnews.com ran a story with the headline "Trump says there will be a 'bloodbath' if he loses the election" and CBSNews.com posted a story with the headline, "In Ohio campaign rally, Trump says there will be a 'bloodbath' if he loses November election."
The former president seized on the media's spin doctoring in a pair of Truth Social posts Monday, sharing the liberal networks claiming the former president was referring to civil blood spilling as opposed to the economic definition of the term "bloodbath" – and how the same liberals in the media used that term all the same.
"The fake news made a big deal out of the word 'Bloodbath,' knowing that it was about our shrinking auto manufacturing business, and the fact that they use the same name all the time," Trump wrote Monday, linking to the video exposing what he called the liberal media malfeasance and hypocrisy. "They are sooo bad!"
The comment and video came after Trump blasted the narratives earlier Monday morning.
"The fake news media, and their Democrat partners in the destruction of our nation, pretended to be shocked at my use of the word BLOODBATH, even though they fully understood that I was simply referring to imports allowed by Crooked Joe Biden, which are killing the automobile industry," Trump posted.
"The United Auto Workers, but not their leadership, fully understand what I mean. With the Electric Car Mandate being pushed by Biden, there soon won't be any cars made in the USA – UNLESS I'M ELECTED PRESIDENT, IN WHICH CASE AUTO MANUFACTURING WILL THRIVE LIKE NEVER BEFORE!!! MAGA2024."
Even former Vice President Mike Pence, who said he will not endorse Trump for president in 2024, said the former president's words were taken out of context by many people.
"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, of imports, devastating the American automotive industry," Pence said while appearing on CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., appeared on CNN's "State of the Union" and slammed Trump for his use of the word "bloodbath." She did not explain the full context of the former president's comments or that they referred to the auto industry.
Newsmax writer Eric Mack contributed to this report.