President Joe Biden has stirred controversy by calling for Donald Trump to be "locked up" just 14 days before the presidential election. Speaking to New Hampshire Democrats on the evening of October 22, Biden made the remark while discussing Trump's plans for a potential second term. He clarified that he meant "politically lock him up," indicating a desire to diminish Trump's influence rather than a call for actual incarceration.
Biden's comments echoed the sentiments from Trump's 2016 campaign, where supporters frequently chanted "Lock her up" in reference to then-candidate Hillary Clinton. Biden stated, “I know this sounds bizarre – it sounds like if I said this five years ago, you’d lock me up. We gotta lock him up.”
In response, a source close to Biden told the New York Post that the President did not intend to suggest Trump should be jailed, rather, he was emphasizing the political landscape.
The Trump campaign swiftly reacted, condemning Biden's remarks as an admission of a politically motivated strategy against Trump. Trump Campaign Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, “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. The Harris-Biden Admin is the real threat to democracy. We call on Kamala Harris to condemn Joe Biden’s disgraceful remark.”