MSNBC historian admits Trump 'bloodbath' comment was about auto industry, still compares him to Hitler

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MSNBC historian on Trump ‘bloodbath’ comment’: ‘He knew exactly what he was saying’

Michael Beschloss compared former President Donald Trump to past dictators.

MSNBC historian Michael Beschloss admitted on Monday that former President Trump's "bloodbath" comment during a recent campaign speech referenced the automobile industry, but still compared the 2024 candidate to the German dictator Adolf Hitler.

During Monday's installment of "Morning Joe," co-host Mika Brzezinski asked Beschloss if there was a precedent for voters not caring or merely being "uninformed" enough to understand Trump is using words that are "clearly out of the pages" of fascists.

Beschloss agreed with Brzezinski's assessment of how fascism and totalitarianism could come to the United States and drew a connection between Trump's candidacy and the factors that led to the Holocaust in Nazi Germany.

He suggested that Trump is doing America a "favor" because he is not portraying himself as a "smiling" figure pretending to be a "normal" candidate and using that façade to take control of the levers of government.

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MSNBC historian Michael Beschloss compared former President Donald Trump to past dictators despite acknowledging his "bloodbath" comment was about the automobile industry.  (MSNBC/Screenshot/KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

"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," Beschloss added.

Trump said last week there would be a "bloodbath" in the automobile manufacturing business if President Biden is reelected.

Trump's comments came during his recent rally in Ohio on Saturday, where he mentioned putting tariffs on Chinese-made cars that China would sell to Americans.

Addressing Communist Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Trump stated, "If you're listening, President Xi — and you and I are friends — but he understands the way I deal. Those big monster car manufacturing plants that you're building in Mexico right now… you're going to not hire Americans and you're going to sell the cars to us, no. We're going to put a 100% tariff on every single car that comes across the line, and you're not going to be able to sell those cars if I get elected."

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Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump salutes at a campaign rally Saturday, March 16, 2024, in Vandalia, Ohio.  (AP/Jeff Dean)

Immediately after, the former president said, "Now, if I don't get elected, it's going to be a bloodbath for the whole – that's gonna be the least of it. It's going to be a bloodbath for the country. That will be the least of it. But they're not going to sell those cars. They're building massive factories."

Prominent media reported on the quote, sharing headlines simply stating that Trump warned of a "bloodbath" if he didn't win.

Politico's headline stated, "Trump says country faces 'bloodbath' if Biden wins in November." NBC News' headline stated, "Trump says there will be a 'bloodbath' if he loses the election." The headline for CBS News stated, "In Ohio campaign rally, Trump says there will be a ‘bloodbath’ if he loses November election."

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When asked about Trump's comments by NBC News, his campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt clarified them: "Biden's policies will create an economic bloodbath for the auto industry and autoworkers."

Fox News' Gabriel Hays contributed to this report.