We are now on day three of "bloodbath-gate," a phrase that must be said in the tone of a wrestling announcer for maximum effect. Everything is stupid and so everything will remain stupid, and don't waste your time hoping for that to change.
As RedState reported, the original controversy centered on Donald Trump using the word "bloodbath" to describe what he felt would happen to the automotive industry and the general economy if Joe Biden won re-election. The press then went wild, claiming that he was calling for violence. Rinse and repeat, it's a tale as old as time.
Some could be counted on to freak out more than others, though, and one of the most hysterical was Joe Scarborough. In a now-deleted social media post, the "Morning Joe" host posted a picture of January 6th and captioned it with "promised another bloodbath if he loses again."
READ: Elon Musk Nukes Joe Scarborough's Wicked Take on Bloodbath Hoax
Morning Joe deleted his post after being humiliated by Elon π€£ pic.twitter.com/O1t5xP5wnv
β ALX πΊπΈ (@alx) March 17, 2024
Did Scarborough delete the post because he had a rare moment of clarity? Was it an admission that he had gotten things wrong and was willing to correct his mistake? Nah, he just didn't want to get ratioed further by Elon Musk because, by Monday morning, Scarborough engaged in a full-blown on-air meltdown over the issue.
Joe Scarborough on President Trump talking about BLOODBATH: "These idiots on Twitter, these idiots on cable news, these idiots on Sunday Shows just bullsh*t. He knew what he was doing, we aren't stupid, Americans aren't stupid and he was talking about BLOODBATH." pic.twitter.com/yW2Ocj0w6Q
β Real Mac Report (@RealMacReport) March 18, 2024
In Scarborough's mind, even though Trump was specifically talking about the economy when he said the word "bloodbath," it was really a dog whistle to the former president's secret coup army to engage in violent acts. Just don't call the MSNBC host paranoid or he might launch into a profanity-laced tirade. He's not an insane person, why do you ask?
With that said, there is a bit of irony in Scarborough's mental breakdown because he's right about one thing. Trump did know "what he was doing." What Scarborough is wrong about is the press not being "stupid."
When this news cycle began several days ago, I speculated that Trump was using the language he used to get the press to react. It's not four-dimensional chess, it's just basic trolling. Trump knows that if he uses certain language, whether "bloodbath" or calling MS-13 members "not human," the press will lose their minds and publish a bunch of false headlines.
Getting "journalists" like Scarborough to overreach and beclown themselves is the point. People can argue over whether it's a net-positive strategy because there are negatives to constantly being the center of the conversation, but it's a strategy nonetheless.
The smart thing for the press would be to not take the bait, but they just can't help themselves. Despite Scarborough's proclamation, he and his colleagues are that "stupid."
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