Biden sparks controversy suggesting Trump should be jailed
Biden ignites debate with call to politically lock up Trump
President Joe Biden stirred controversy on Tuesday night by suggesting that Donald Trump should be jailed, just two weeks before the presidential election.
At an event in New Hampshire, the 81-year-old president remarked, “We gotta lock him up.” Biden quickly attempted to amend his statement, saying, “We need to politically lock him up. Lock him out. That’s what we have to do.”
Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris has been addressing “lock him up” chants at her rallies by urging supporters to let the courts handle the matter. These chants contradict her campaign’s focus on preserving democracy and maintaining law and order, reminiscent of the “lock her up” chants at Trump’s 2016 rallies, which Democrats have frequently criticized.
Shocking With just 14 days to go Joe Biden just call for Donald Trump to be jailed before the election as he rumbles & lie….
“ We gotta lock him up. “ pic.twitter.com/knonZ22Zeu
— Chuckyfamous! (@Nem_Famous) October 22, 2024
Trump has built his campaign around contesting the criminal cases against him, accusing his rivals of using “lawfare” to interfere with the election. He faces sentencing in September after being convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Although technically he could be jailed, many experts believe that, as a first-time white-collar offender, he is unlikely to serve time.
Donald Trump Jr. responded to Biden’s comments by posting on X, “They’re not even hiding it. The lawfare against my dad was always about election interference!”
Trump’s campaign rhetoric has included threats against those he considers “enemies from within,” such as Senate candidate Adam Schiff. He saw a boost in polls and campaign donations during his New York hush money trial and has criticised special counsel Jack Smith, who brought charges against him related to his efforts to overturn the January 6 election.
Biden, who occasionally joins the campaign trail and has made several gaffes, made his comments about Trump after discussing Trump’s desire to abolish the Education Department. Biden claimed that Trump wants to replace every civil servant and suggested that Trump believes he has the right to eliminate perceived threats, though Trump has never explicitly mentioned being able to kill people who threaten him.
At his Doral golf club on Monday, Trump warned, “If we lose this election, we may not have a country anymore,” and claimed without evidence that his rivals would cheat. When asked at a suburban McDonald’s drive-thru on Saturday if he would accept the election results, Trump replied, “Yeah, sure, if it’s a fair election. I would always accept it. It’s got to be a fair election.”
A former Biden aide commented, “We gotta lock Joe up,” noting the political unhelpfulness of Biden’s statement. Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt called on the Harris campaign to condemn Biden’s “disgraceful” remark, asserting that Biden and Harris plan to politically persecute Trump because they can’t beat him fairly.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions asked about this news
What did President Biden say about Trump being jailed?
Biden said, ‘We gotta lock him up,’ but later clarified, ‘We need to politically lock him up.’
How has Kamala Harris addressed the ‘lock him up’ chants at her rallies?
Harris urged supporters to let the courts handle the matter.
What is Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric focused on?
Trump’s campaign focuses on contesting criminal cases against him and accusing rivals of election interference.
Is Trump likely to serve jail time for his convictions?
Experts believe Trump is unlikely to serve time due to being a first-time white-collar offender.
How did Trump respond to Biden’s comments on social media?
Trump Jr. posted on X, accusing Biden of using ‘lawfare’ for election interference.
