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With just two weeks until Election Day, President Biden stirred controversy during a political event in New Hampshire by calling for former President Donald Trump to be “politically” locked up.
Biden was in Concord to highlight his administration’s efforts to lower healthcare costs and prescription drug prices. Later, at the New Hampshire Democratic Party headquarters, he emphasized his long-held belief that a Trump victory in 2024 would pose a serious threat to the nation’s democracy.
“Our democracy is at stake,” Biden said. “Think about it. Think about what would happen if Donald Trump wins this election.” He followed up with, “I know this sounds bizarre. It sounds like if I said this five years ago, you’d lock me up. We got to lock him up.” Biden quickly corrected himself, clarifying, “Politically lock him up. Lock him out. That’s what we have to do.”
Though Biden has maintained distance from the Justice Department’s investigations into Trump, the remarks fueled a political firestorm. The Trump campaign quickly circulated the clip on social media. National press secretary Karoline Leavitt accused Biden of “admitting the truth” that the administration’s plan all along was to “politically persecute” Trump.
Harris, who replaced Biden as the Democratic nominee three months ago, has attempted to silence rally chants of “lock him up” directed at Trump, mirroring the “lock her up” rhetoric used by Trump supporters in 2016 against Hillary Clinton. Trump, while running again for president, has continued to claim, without evidence, that the investigations into him are politically motivated.
At an official policy event held at a local community college, Biden also mocked Trump’s approach to healthcare, saying, “My predecessor, the distinguished former president… wants to replace the Affordable Care Act with… what he refers to as a concept of a plan,” adding, “he has no concept of anything.”
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, a progressive leader and former Democratic presidential contender, spoke before Biden at the event. Biden humorously noted, “Bernie and I… have been doing this work for a long time. I know we both look like we’re 40, but we’re a little older. At least I am.”
