In a speech just two weeks before Election Day, President Joe Biden stirred controversy with a comment about former President Donald Trump, saying, “We gotta lock him up.”
The remark, made during a campaign stop in New Hampshire on Tuesday, echoed the language Trump himself has used in the past.
Biden later added a clarification, saying, “politically lock him up,” before adjusting it further to “Lock him out. That’s what we have to do.”
Biden’s comment, although quickly clarified, drew immediate backlash from Trump’s allies.
The Trump campaign responded by accusing Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris of politically persecuting Trump.
“Joe Biden just admitted the truth: he and Kamala’s plan all along has been to politically persecute their opponent President Trump because they can’t beat him fair and square,” said Karoline Leavitt, the campaign’s press secretary.
She also called on Harris to condemn Biden’s remarks, calling them “disgraceful.”
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung also expressed anger at the comment, tweeting, “What a piece of s— Biden is,” and referring to a previous attempt on Trump’s life.
Cheung mentioned a shooting incident in Butler, Pennsylvania, during a Trump rally, in which the former president narrowly escaped harm.
The White House quickly issued a statement, explaining that Biden’s remark should be interpreted within the context of electoral politics.
A White House official said that Biden’s clarifications about “politically” locking up Trump and locking him “out” are key to understanding his intent.
The president was reportedly urging voters to focus on the high stakes of the upcoming election, particularly in reference to Trump’s policies, which Biden described as “bizarre” and dangerous.
He suggested that had he proposed similar policies five years ago, people would have called for his imprisonment.
This isn’t the first time Trump has been at the center of debates about political imprisonment.
During his 2016 campaign, chants of “lock her up” directed at Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton became a staple at his rallies.
Similarly, at the Democratic National Convention this year, a crowd chanted “lock him up” as Clinton endorsed Harris.
The exchange underscores the contentious atmosphere surrounding the current election and the unprecedented legal challenges Trump faces.
Trump was convicted earlier this year on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in New York.
His sentencing is scheduled after the election. In addition to this, he faces federal charges in two separate cases led by special counsel Jack Smith.
Trump has pleaded not guilty in both cases and has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Despite these legal troubles, Trump continues to rally his supporters by painting his political opponents, including Harris and Clinton, as criminals.
Trump himself has not shied away from stoking similar rhetoric. Recently, he posted manipulated images of Biden, Harris, and other political opponents in orange prison uniforms, with captions such as “HOW TO ACTUALLY ‘FIX THE SYSTEM.’”
He has also accused Democrats and investigators of being “the enemy from within,” claiming they pose a more significant threat than foreign powers like Russia or China.
As the election draws closer, Biden has emphasized the existential threat he believes Trump poses to American democracy.
In his New Hampshire speech, Biden shared private conversations he’s had with world leaders who are concerned about Trump’s potential return to power.
“They’ll pull me aside, one leader after another, quietly, and say, ‘Joe, he can’t win. My democracy is at stake. My democracy is at stake.’”
Biden, who has kept a relatively low profile on the campaign trail, spent part of Tuesday visiting the headquarters of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, boosting candidates running in gubernatorial and congressional races.
There, he reiterated the importance of defeating Trump, saying, “We must, we must win. Not only for ourselves, but for our children, and those children who aren’t even born yet.”
While Biden’s remarks in New Hampshire were unscripted and candid, the impact they’ve had on the political discourse in the lead-up to the election has been substantial, reigniting debates over the integrity of both candidates and the future of American democracy.
