Former President Trump said ABC News’ David Muir, one of the co-moderators of Tuesday’s presidential debate, should have fact-checked Vice President Kamala Harris after she claimed the GOP nominee said there would be a "bloodbath" if he doesn’t win the election.
Trump sat down with Fox News host Trace Gallagher for an interview on "Fox News @ Night" that is set to air at 11 p.m. ET.
"Donald Trump, the candidate, has said, in this election, there will be a bloodbath if this and the outcome of this election is not to his liking. Let’s turn the page on this. Let’s not go back. Let’s chart a course for the future and not go backwards to the past," Harris said onstage at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
ABC DEBATE MODERATORS SPARK FURY FOR AGGRESSIVE FACT-CHECKING OF TRUMP, EASY TREATMENT OF HARRIS
Trump tried to explain his comments on "Fox News @ Night."
"They say anything they can say bad. You know, when she went over those points, all of those points, like the bloodshed-- that was referring to the car industry, it's going to, you know, it's a bloodbath," Trump said. He maintains that the "bloodbath" comment he made at a rally in Ohio earlier this year was about what would happen to the auto industry if he isn’t elected in November.
"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," Trump said in March.
"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."
Trump told Gallagher that he believed Harris should have been fact-checked for her claims about his comments on the auto industry and the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017.
"Every one of them should have been questioned by David Muir, who I've lost a lot of respect for. Everyone's lost respect for him because it was so... Such a one sided... It was one against three. And I had a great debate because my poll numbers are all up very substantially after the debates. The people... So... but look, these are lying people. These are very bad people," he said.
Gallagher also asked Trump in the "Fox News @ Night" exclusive about the remarks he made about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio.
Trump falsely claimed Haitian immigrants were eating the dogs, cats and pets of local residents.
Officials said there have been no credible or detailed reports about the claims. A Springfield police spokesperson addressed Trump’s remarks, saying in a statement to Reuters: "In response to recent rumors alleging criminal activity by the immigrant population in our city, we wish to clarify that there have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community."
Trump spoke about the impact tens of thousands of Haitian immigrants have on the population of Springfield, a city of roughly 59,000 people.
"If you go to Ohio, you know, there they're talking about 25 to 30,000 people coming in from Haiti. And this is a town that is small, beautiful, no problems, no crime, no nothing. And I heard this morning there was 31,000 people coming in. Nobody can do that," Trump said.
"And it's a bad criminal element, too. A bad criminal element. This is a town with no crime at all, Springfield. It's got no crime. It's got no problems. And now they have 31,000 people just came down on them. This is not survivable. We're going to have the largest deportation effort in the history of our country."
The Associated Press reported some 15,000 Haitian immigrants have arrived in Springfield since 2020 under the Temporary Protected Status program.
Springfield’s government website notes that Haitian immigrants are in the country legally under the Immigration Parole Program. "Once here, immigrants are then eligible to apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Haiti is designated by the Secretary of Homeland Security for TPS. Current TPS is granted through February 3, 2026," the website stated.
Tune in to watch the entire interview with former President Trump on "Fox News @ Night" at 11 pm ET!
