Former President Donald Trump has once again been caught red-handed in a lie, this time falsely claiming that he never called for Hillary Clinton’s imprisonment. In an interview aired on Fox News, Trump had the audacity to assert that he didn’t say “lock her up” during his 2016 presidential campaign against Clinton. Let’s set the record straight: Trump absolutely called for Clinton to be locked up, and he did so multiple times.
Trump, who now faces the possibility of prison himself after being convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, seems to have developed a case of selective amnesia. During the Fox News interview, Trump stated that imprisoning Clinton “would have been a terrible thing,” and then, with a straight face, added, “I didn’t say ‘lock her up,’ but the people would all say ‘lock her up, lock her up.’”
Facts First: Trump is Lying
Let’s be crystal clear: Trump’s claim that he didn’t say “lock her up” is a blatant lie. Throughout his 2016 campaign, Trump used the phrase “lock her up” repeatedly while criticizing Clinton’s email practices as Secretary of State. He didn’t just tolerate the chants from his supporters; he actively encouraged them.
Here are some undeniable examples:
- At an October 2016 rally in North Carolina, Trump said, “For what she’s done, they should lock her up,” right after the crowd chanted “lock her up.”
- At another October 2016 rally in Pennsylvania, Trump explicitly agreed with his supporters, saying “‘Lock her up’ is right.”
- In a June 2016 speech in California, Trump declared, “Hillary Clinton has to go to jail, OK? She has to go to jail.” He repeated this sentiment in an October 2016 speech in Florida.
- During a presidential debate in October 2016, after Clinton remarked, “It’s just awfully good that someone with the temperament of Donald Trump is not in charge of the law in our country,” Trump shot back, “Because you’d be in jail.”
The Rhetoric Continued
Even after winning the election, Trump softened his tone briefly, claiming he didn’t want to hurt Clinton. However, by the time he was campaigning for reelection in 2020, the calls to “lock her up” had returned in full force. At a January 2020 rally in Ohio, Trump told his supporters, “You should lock her up, I’ll tell you.” And at an October 2020 rally in Georgia, after the crowd chanted “lock them up” about the Biden family, Trump said, “You should lock them up. Lock up the Bidens. Lock up Hillary.”
The Hypocrisy is Staggering
Trump’s blatant hypocrisy and continuous attempts to rewrite history are staggering. The man who weaponized chants of “lock her up” to galvanize his base now faces the reality of potentially being locked up himself. His attempts to distance himself from his own words are not just deceitful—they’re an insult to the intelligence of the American people.
As Trump’s legal troubles mount, it’s clear he’s willing to say anything to defend himself, even if it means lying about his own actions. The facts are irrefutable: Trump called for Hillary Clinton’s imprisonment on multiple occasions. His denial is just another example of his consistent pattern of dishonesty and manipulation.
