Former President Donald Trump's recent comments referring to January 6, 2021, Capitol riot defendants as "unbelievable patriots" and "hostages" have raised concerns about their potential impact on his support among Republican voters.
Conservative commentator and former White House staffer Scott Jennings warned that such remarks could backfire and lead some Republicans to reconsider their support for Trump.
Trump made these comments during a rally in Dayton, Ohio, where he was supporting GOP Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, whom he has endorsed.
Trump's remarks, particularly his statement that not being reelected in November would result in a "bloodbath for the country," have been criticized as potentially inciting violence.
However, Trump's campaign has clarified that his statement was referring to potential economic consequences rather than actual violence.
Jennings, who is known for his appearances on CNN and his time in the George W. Bush administration, defended Trump's "bloodbath" comment as being taken out of context.
However, he cautioned that such rhetoric could desensitize people to Trump's actual alarming statements.
Jennings specifically highlighted Trump's characterization of the January 6 defendants as "unbelievable patriots," warning that this stance could alienate some Republican voters.
Critics, including MSNBC's Joe Scarborough and former NBCUniversal executive Mike Sington, condemned Trump's remarks.
Scarborough described the rioters as "pure evil" and rejected Trump's comparison to "hostages," while Sington called Trump's comments "chilling" and criticized him as an "autocratic dictator wannabe."
Trump is currently facing a federal indictment from the Department of Justice related to the Capitol riot, which he denies.
His trial is pending a Supreme Court ruling on his claim of broad presidential immunity.