In a recent speech in Concord, New Hampshire, President Joe Biden made remarks that seemed to suggest Donald Trump should be locked up, sparking a significant backlash from right-wing critics. Speaking to Democratic campaign staff without a teleprompter, Biden described Trump as a threat to democracy, saying, “This is a guy who also wants to replace every civil servant, every single one; thinks he has a right under the Supreme Court ruling on immunity to be able, if need be … to actually eliminate – physically eliminate, shoot, kill – someone who … he believes would be a threat to him.”

He added, “So I know this sounds bizarre. [If] I said this five years ago, you’d lock me up. We gotta lock him up.” As the audience applauded, Biden quickly clarified, “Politically lock him up,” insisting, “Lock him out. That’s what we have to do.”

Biden’s comments drew parallels to Trump’s well-known rhetoric about imprisoning political opponents. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump famously told Hillary Clinton, “You’d be in jail” and encouraged crowds at his rallies to chant “lock her up.” While Clinton has never faced any charges, Trump himself has recently been convicted on 34 felony counts in New York related to hush money payments made during the election campaign.

Trump is also facing charges in three other cases involving alleged election interference and mishandling classified documents. Despite his legal troubles, Trump has claimed that Biden is orchestrating a political witch-hunt against him, branding himself as a victim of political persecution. In response to Biden’s remarks, Trump’s campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt claimed, “Joe Biden just admitted the truth: he and Kamala [Harris’s] plan all along has been to politically persecute their opponent, President Trump, because they can’t beat him fair and square.”

Adding to the controversy, Trump’s campaign communications director Steven Cheung commented on Biden’s mention of “shooting,” recalling a failed assassination attempt against Trump, saying, “What a piece of shit Biden is.” Meanwhile, pro-Trump activist Charlie Kirk asserted that Biden’s comments reveal a concerted effort by Democrats to imprison Trump intentionally.

A White House official emphasized that Biden’s comments were clarified immediately after his speech, aligning with the statement that they should be interpreted as political rather than literal calls for incarceration.

Looking ahead, Trump has not shied away from discussing the potential prosecution of his critics should he return to power. He has previously suggested that former Congresswoman Liz Cheney should face a military tribunal and called for severe punishment for former Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley for alleged treason. Furthermore, Trump has labeled his political adversaries as “the enemy within,” targeting figures like Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Vice President Harris has used recent speeches to characterize Trump as “unstable and unhinged,” even endorsing views that liken him to fascism. However, she has distanced herself from the “lock him up” chant at rallies, urging her supporters to let the courts handle legal matters instead, insisting, “We’re going to beat him in November.”