The tone in the US election campaign is becoming sharper. Former President Trump's appearance in Ohio was actually about risks for the US auto industry. But then the Republican suddenly spoke of a “bloodbath” – and caused irritation.
The designated Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has announced the likely end of American democracy if he loses the election in November. “If we don't win this election, I don't believe there will be another election in this country,” Trump told supporters in Ohio.
He described the upcoming presidential election on November 5th as the “most important date” in US history. “That date – remember, November 5th – I think will be the most important date in the history of our country.”
China's car plans
Trump caused irritation when he said that if he was not elected there would be a “bloodbath”. What exactly he meant by the remark remained unclear, as he had just spoken about risks to the US auto industry and tariffs in his speech.
Referring to China's alleged plans to build cars in Mexico and then sell them in the US, he said: “They won't be able to sell these cars if I'm elected. If I'm not elected, it will be a bloodbath overall “That will be the least, it will be a bloodbath for the country. That will be the least. But they won't sell these cars.”
A threat?
Biden's campaign team interpreted the statements as a threat. The “loser” of the 2020 election is again threatening “political violence.” “He wants another January 6th, but the American people will hand him another electoral defeat this November because they continue to reject his extremism, his propensity for violence and his thirst for revenge,” the statement said, referring to the Storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Toughest US election campaign in history expected
Trump and Biden have now secured the necessary delegate votes in their parties' primaries to be sent back into the race in the presidential election on November 5th. Almost eight months before the US presidential election, the incumbent and challenger are almost equally popular with voters. It is already clear that the election campaign will be one of the toughest election campaigns in US history.
The age of the two candidates also plays a role in the election campaign. Biden is 81, Trump is 77 years old. Recently, Biden tried to allay concerns about his old age – and go on the offensive. “One candidate is too old and mentally unfit to be president. The other is me,” Biden said at a gala event in Washington.
The 81-year-old was recently noticed with several dropouts. In February, for example, he confused Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi with the Mexican head of state. However, his 77-year-old competitor Trump also repeatedly attracted attention with mix-ups. He recently confused Biden with former US President Barack Obama.
At a gala event in Washington, Biden also said: “The lies about the 2020 election, the plot to overthrow it and support for the January 6 insurrection represent the greatest threat to our democracy since the American Civil War.”
