Former President Donald Trump's recent comments calling January 6, 2021, Capitol riot defendants "unbelievable patriots" and "hostages" could backfire and cost him Republican votes, according to conservative commentator and former White House staffer Scott Jennings.
Context:
Trump on Saturday made an appearance at a rally in Dayton, Ohio, meant to act as a "get out the vote" style event for Bernie Moreno, a GOP candidate the former president has endorsed for the U.S. Senate. During the appearance, Trump made several comments that raised alarms for many.
Most notably, Trump claimed that, if he is not reelected in November, there will be a "bloodbath for the country." Many observers and commentators accused this of being a threat of political violence, in line with some of his past remarks. Trump and his campaign staff defended the remark, however, claiming that it was taken out of context and only referred to a "bloodbath" for the auto industry.
Elsewhere in the speech, Trump referred to the individuals who have been arrested and charged for taking part in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol as "hostages" and "unbelievable patriots."
"They've been treated terribly and very unfairly, and you know that, and everybody knows that," Trump said. "And we're going to be working on that as soon as the first day we get into office. We're going to save our country, and we're going to work with the people to treat those unbelievable patriots."
What We Know:
Jennings is a conservative commentator known for his appearances on CNN and for his time as a staffer in the administration of former President George W. Bush. During a Monday morning interview on CNN Newsroom with Wolf Blitzer, Jennings echoed the stance that Trump's "bloodbath" comment had been taken out of context and overblown. He also argued that such tactics, which he likened to "crying wolf," would have the effect of making his actual alarming remarks seem less dangerous to many.
Jennings then cited Trump's comments from earlier in the rally about the January 6 defendants as an example of his actually alarming rhetoric. He warned that such comments could backfire on the former president and lead some Republican voters to abandon him in November.
"That is exactly the kind of rhetoric, in my opinion, that is worthy of criticism and worthy of discussion," Jennings said, later adding, "His position on these people that broke the law, went through a legal process, I mean, it's just wrong and I think it's one of the things that will make some Republicans who obviously don't like [President Joe] Biden and are wondering what to do now the most uncomfortable with his candidacy."
Newsweek reached out to Trump's office via email on Monday afternoon for comment.
Views:
Trump's comments on January 6 defendants prompted similar offense from various observers as his "bloodbath" remark. MSNBC host Joe Scarborough called the rioters pure evil, and called his comparisons to "hostages" offensive. Mike Sington, a former executive at NBCUniversal, took X to decry the comments as "chilling" and called Trump an "autocratic dictator wannabe."
What Comes Next:
Trump is currently under a federal criminal indictment from the Department of Justice accusing him of having a hand in fomenting the Capitol riot, which he has denied. His trial date is on hold pending a ruling from the Supreme Court on his claims of broad presidential immunity.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Thomas Kika is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in upstate New York. His focus is reporting on crime and national ... Read more
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