Biden wants to see Trump face consequences for his actions and suggests he should be held accountable through political means.

During a speech to New Hampshire Democrats, President Joe Biden made a statement about former President Donald Trump, saying "we gotta lock him up." However, he quickly clarified that he meant to do so politically, not through the legal system. This was in reference to a similar phrase used by Trump during his 2016 campaign against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Biden's running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris, has made it clear on the campaign trail that she does not support this type of rhetoric.

Biden went on to describe some of Trump's plans for a potential second term, stating, "I know this may sound strange, but if I had said this five years ago, you would have locked me up. We have to lock him up." As the audience applauded, Biden corrected himself, saying, "I mean, politically lock him up. We need to lock him out. That's what we have to do." Harris has also shut down similar chants aimed at Trump, reminding her supporters that the courts will handle any legal matters and that their focus should be on defeating him in the upcoming election.

This statement from Biden was a change in his usual approach, as he has typically avoided any involvement in the legal proceedings against Trump. The former president has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that the Justice Department has unfairly targeted him and his allies for political reasons. He has also suggested that he would use the department for his own political gain if he were to be re-elected.

Trump's campaign quickly seized on Biden's comments, with campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt stating, "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 fairly." Leavitt called on Harris to condemn Biden's statement, accusing the Harris-Biden administration of being a threat to democracy.

Trump has previously claimed that he discouraged his supporters from chanting "lock her up" about Clinton during the 2016 campaign, but there is no evidence to support this. He has also become the first former president in US history to be convicted of a felony, as well as facing three other criminal cases. Despite his pleas of not guilty, Trump has falsely accused the Biden administration of being behind these cases.

During an interview with NBC, Harris was asked about the possibility of pardoning Trump if she were to be elected. She declined to answer, stating that she would not engage in hypothetical scenarios. When pressed about whether a pardon could help bring Americans together, Harris responded, "Let me tell you what will help us move on: me becoming the president of the United States."

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