Trump warns of 'bloodbath' for US auto industry if he loses election

Former President Trump said if he does not win the November election, there will be "bloodshed" for the auto industry and the entire United States.

Speaking to a crowd of supporters in Dayton, Ohio on March 16, Donald Trump pledged to impose a 100% tariff on cars made outside the United States, emphasizing that only if he is elected will the domestic auto industry be protected.

"They won't be able to sell imported cars if I'm elected," Mr. Trump emphasized. "And if I don't become president, there will be a bloodbath for the industry in particular and the whole country in general."

Trump’s comments come amid a long-running dispute over the auto industry, unions, the transition to electric vehicles and auto plants in Mexico. Trump is trying to appeal to auto workers and voters in Rust Belt states. Trump told CNBC this month that he would impose a 50% tariff on cars made in Mexico by Chinese factories.

The former president urged voters to go to the polls in November, saying that if he did not win, American democracy would be over. "If we don't win this election, I don't think you'll have another election," he said.

Trump thanked his supporters who are in prison for participating in the Capitol Hill riots in January 2021. He called them "patriots" and "hostages being held."

Former US President Donald Trump in Richmond, Virginia, on March 2. Photo: Reuters — Former US President Donald Trump in Richmond, Virginia, on March 2. Photo: *Reuters*

When asked about the comment, Trump's campaign said the term "bloodbath" was used in the context of a discussion about the auto industry and the US economy .

Meanwhile, James Singer, a spokesman for President Joe Biden's campaign, criticized the term "bloodbath", accusing Mr. Trump of having extremist ideology, wanting revenge and threatening political violence.

Former President Trump, 77, and White House chief Biden, 81, have won enough delegates to become the Republican and Democratic nominees in the November election.

This second confrontation is considered unpredictable when the two men's support rates are almost equal. A Reuters/Ipsos poll last week showed that Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden received equal support rates.

Ngoc Anh (According to Reuters )

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