Trump's critics are doing exactly what they accuse him of, says Richard Madeley

I suppose it must be quite exciting living in a country where the outcome of the next general election isn’t a foregone conclusion. Like it is here, whenever Rishi calls it. Or in Russia last week.

At least over in America you can have an enjoyable flutter on either Trump or Biden and be genuinely unsure whether you’ll be counting your winnings or drowning your sorrows come November 5/6.

At least as things stand now, that is. Because the Biden bunch wants to watch it. In fact the anti-Trump media both Stateside and here wants to watch it too. They’re in danger of going after their man with a bent weapon. And that will rebound on them – in fact, it already has, playing right into Trump’s constant claims that his opponents tell lies about him.

They do.

I’m talking about coverage of Trump’s “bloodbath” speech last week. It was specious. The coverage, not the speech. Because Trump’s address to a rally in Ohio was seriously misreported by TV and radio networks, online and in and many newspapers.

We were told he’d warned the American people that if he doesn’t win the coming election: “It’s going to be a bloodbath.”

Well, no mistaking that, right? After the Capitol Hill riots, Trump was unashamedly at it again, calling for armed insurrection. “The man’s doubling down on his threats of political violence,” a Biden spokesman said.

Er... no he wasn’t. Rewind that part of the speech, and listen to what Trump said immediately before the bloodbath “threat”. He was actually talking about the US motor industry. He promised his audience that if he wins in November, he’ll protect car manufacturers.

Then he warned that if Biden wins, the industry will be decimated by cheap Chinese competition, undercutting American autos.

“It’s going to be a bloodbath,” he finished.

So no call to arms, then. Just a perfectly acceptable, if colourful, metaphor. The danger here is obvious. Cry “wolf” when there’s no wolf, and no one believes you when there actually is.

There are plenty of legitimate lines of attack to pursue with Trump: he’s a liar and fraud and may well end up in jail.

But making stuff up about him? Don’t sink to his level.