CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings blamed his own network Monday for allowing former President Trump’s rhetoric to be mischaracterized by the Harris campaign in a way “designed to radicalize.”
Trump was rushed off of the golf course this past Sunday at Trump International in West Palm Beach, Fla., after the Secret Service discovered a gunman in the bushes. As authorities treat the episode as a second apparent assassination attempt, the former president has argued that President Biden and Vice President Harris’ “rhetoric” is what is causing him to be “shot at.”
The day after the assassination attempt, CNN host Abby Phillip hosted a panel of commentators debating the relationship between heated rhetoric about the election and the recent attempts on Trump’s life.
“I have to say, when I see what Democratic politicians say about Donald Trump, when I see what Democratic commentators say about Donald Trump, and their platform is built on a bunch of lies, frankly, that are designed to radicalize a political base, it makes me wonder… How much do they really care about the violence that you and I both agree is terrible?” Jennings asked.
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He called out the Harris campaign for fearmongering about what the country would look like if Trump becomes president again.
“The underpinning of her campaign, I mean, she repeats it herself, ‘Trump will be a dictator on day one.’ I mean, this country fights dictators. That‘s what our history — we fight dictators,” he said while the panel erupted to protest that it was true.
Trump joked during a town hall with Sean Hannity in December that he would not be a dictator “except for day one.” He added, “Other than day one – we’re closing the border, and we’re drilling, drilling, drilling. After that, I’m not a dictator.’”
“‘There‘ll be a bloodbath,’” Jennings said as another example of Trump being taken out of context when he predicted an economic “bloodbath” for the automotive industry should President Biden win.
During last week’s presidential debate, Harris said, “Donald Trump, the candidate, has said, in this election, there will be a bloodbath if the outcome of this election is not to his liking.”
“It is said by every Democrat working for or around [Harris’] campaign every day on this network and every other one,” Jennings said. “The bloodbath thing is stated every single day.”
“Use of the word ‘bloodbath’ when he was talking about vehicle manufacturing jobs in the United States, Vice President Harris improperly and unfairly mischaracterized that as him saying there would be a bloodbath if he were elected,” Phillip confirmed, but clarified, “However, she did not say that if Trump were elected, there would be a bloodbath.”
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Jennings argued that these kinds of false narratives are part of the Democratic Party’s strategy.
“I know you have interviewed and had people out here and have watched the same coverage I have. The ‘bloodbath’ garbage, it is a pillar of the Democratic campaign against Trump, as is ‘dictator,’ as is ‘eliminate the U.S. Constitution,’” Jennings said.
