Former President Donald Trump recently claimed in an interview that he did not call for the imprisonment of his Democratic opponent in the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton. Trump, who is facing the possibility of a prison sentence himself after being convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, made this statement during an interview on Fox News. However, this claim is false as Trump had previously used the phrase “lock her up” multiple times in relation to Clinton.
Throughout his campaign in 2016, Trump often criticized Clinton for her email practices as Secretary of State, leading to federal investigations, but she was never charged with a crime. Trump’s supporters at campaign rallies would chant “lock her up,” to which Trump responded by saying he believed Clinton should be imprisoned. He was captured on video explicitly calling for Clinton’s imprisonment at various events, using phrases like “Hillary Clinton has to go to jail, OK? She has to go to jail.” However, Trump softened his rhetoric after winning the election, stating that he did not want to hurt Clinton and did not feel strongly about prosecuting her.
Despite this, Trump returned to using similar rhetoric during his 2020 re-election campaign, again calling for Clinton to be locked up. At a rally in 2020, Trump said, “You should lock her up, I’ll tell you.” This repeated use of the phrase “lock her up” shows a pattern of behavior in which Trump continued to push for Clinton’s imprisonment, even after stating that he did not want to pursue it. This inconsistency in his statements raises questions about his true intentions and motivations behind calling for Clinton to be jailed.
The chants of “lock her up” at Trump’s rallies, followed by his own statements echoing those sentiments, created a contentious atmosphere during the 2016 campaign. Trump’s comments about Clinton and his calls for her imprisonment were met with both support and criticism from the public. Despite his claims that he did not specifically use the phrase “lock her up,” there is evidence to the contrary, showing that he did in fact call for Clinton to be jailed on multiple occasions.
In the aftermath of his election victory, Trump shifted his tone regarding Clinton, stating that he did not wish to pursue legal action against her. However, his return to using similar rhetoric during his 2020 campaign raises questions about the sincerity of his earlier statements. The controversy surrounding Trump’s calls for Clinton’s imprisonment highlights the divisive nature of his rhetoric and the impact it had on public perceptions of the former Secretary of State. Ultimately, Trump’s inconsistent statements on this issue have added to the ongoing debate about his handling of the 2016 election and his interactions with political opponents.
