Biden backtracks and corrects himself after calling for Trump to be locked up 2 weeks before election

In the two weeks leading up to the 2024 election, President Joe Biden alarmed listeners by calling former President Donald Trump to be “locked up."

“I know this sounds bizarre. If I said this five years ago, you'd lock me up: We gotta lock him, ” the 81-year-old retiring POTUS, often known for making gaffes at public events, eventually cleared up his stance on Trump's supposed apprehension in question. “Politically, lock him up – lock him out, that's what we've got to do,” he interjected after a brief pause as the audience had already erupted into applause during his visit to the Democratic Party's headquarters in Concord, New Hampshire, on Tuesday, October 22.

With a handful of Trump's criminal cases still pending, the Republican nominee has the impression that his indictments were politically motivated to push for Biden's then-re-election bid. Meanwhile, the sitting commander-in-chief's remarks echo Trump's own often-invoked comments during the 2016 campaign when he pushed for his then-Democratic contender in the presidential race, Hillary Clinton, to be jailed.

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“Lock her up! Lock her up!” chants often defined Trump’s rallies at the time. With Biden calling for the Republican presidential hopeful to be imprisoned “politically,” saving himself from slipping up to demand his literal apprehension, echoes Vice President Kamala Harris and other leaders’ public refrain from speaking of the ex-POTUS’ convictions and other charges.

Not the first time Biden taunted Trump about his legal woes in public

However, Biden also sarcastically alluded to Trump’s legal entanglement during a last week appearance in Pennsylvania, the US state where the first attempt on Trump’s life unravelled during the now-infamous July 13 rally.

“I think he’s running to stay out of jail,” Biden said then.

Democratic candidate Harris, on the other hand, has done her part in responding to “lock him up” chants at her rallies, saying the courts will handle the matter and her focus is on winning the election.

Trump spokesperson hits back

Contrary to the president’s taunting remarks, almost made twice now, an insider close to him told The New York Post his comment was in no way intended to push for Trump’s imprisonment.

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On the contrary, Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt jumped on the opportunity to make the most of it, reiterating the former president’s insinuation that the investigations into Trump were fuelled by political agenda.

“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,” Leavitt said in a statement. “The Harris-Biden Admin is the real threat to democracy. We call on Kamala Harris to condemn Joe Biden’s disgraceful remark.”

Earlier this May, Donald Trump was convicted of 34 criminal counts of falsifying business records related to his hush-money case trial. After Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a fellow Democrat, got him convicted, the former president’s sentencing has been scheduled for November 26.