During a campaign event in New Hampshire, President Joe Biden took aim at former President Donald Trump, making a controversial statement about locking him up. Biden initially said, “We gotta lock him up,” but quickly backtracked, clarifying that he meant “politically lock him up” and then further adjusted his phrasing to, “Lock him out, that’s what we’ve got to do.” The remarks have generated significant attention and drawn sharp criticism from the Trump campaign.
Biden’s comments came in the context of warning about the potential risks to American democracy if Trump, the Republican candidate, defeats Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the upcoming election. The president emphasized that Trump poses a threat to democratic norms and institutions, pointing to Trump’s rhetoric and actions throughout his political career.
The incident has brought comparisons to the 2016 presidential campaign when Trump supporters often chanted “lock her up” at rallies, referring to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. While Trump did not explicitly discourage those chants, Biden’s use of similar language—despite his attempt to clarify—has raised concerns about the tone of the political discourse.
The Trump campaign quickly responded to Biden’s remarks, with Karoline Leavitt, the national press secretary for Trump’s 2024 campaign, accusing Biden of admitting that he and Vice President Harris aim to “politically persecute” Trump because they fear losing to him in a fair election. Leavitt called on Harris to condemn Biden’s “disgraceful” remarks, asserting that the Harris-Biden administration itself is the “real threat to democracy.”
In addition to Biden’s comments, the debate around presidential immunity has resurfaced. The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that former presidents have immunity from criminal prosecution for actions taken while in office. The decision sparked concern from Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who, in her dissent, warned that this ruling could protect former presidents from accountability even in extreme cases, such as ordering the assassination of a political opponent. Biden referenced this in his remarks, suggesting that Trump believes he could exploit this immunity to replace or eliminate civil servants and political adversaries.
The incident underscores the heightened tensions in the ongoing campaign, as both sides continue to attack each other’s commitment to democratic principles. The heated rhetoric reflects the deeply polarized political climate leading up to the election, with Biden and his allies framing Trump as a threat to democracy, while Trump’s camp accuses the current administration of using legal and political means to target him.
