In true Biden fashion, the president dropped a line this week that had jaws dropping on both sides of the aisle. During a campaign event in New Hampshire, Biden claimed, “We gotta lock him up” in reference to Trump, quickly following it up with an awkward “Politically lock him up,” as though realizing a little too late that he might have crossed a line. Now, if anyone thought the guy who casually forgets names and states would be able to steer clear of controversy in a high-stakes race, they’re clearly giving him too much credit.
Biden in NH lists what Trump would do as president and says: “we gotta lock him up” and then, appearing to realize how his comments would be taken, adds: “politically, lock him up.” pic.twitter.com/cw3X8RzKn2
— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) October 22, 2024
Trump, of course, didn’t miss a beat. Speaking to a fired-up crowd in Arizona, he called out Biden’s blunder, chuckling, “He blew it! He’s such a stupid guy.” And while Trump certainly threw around his own “lock her up” chants back in 2016, let’s not pretend that it’s the same thing. Trump’s remarks were campaign slogans, a little tongue-in-cheek for effect, against a political rival who wasn’t in an active criminal prosecution. Meanwhile, Biden’s comment lands in the middle of a federal case his own Department of Justice is pushing against Trump.
“HE BLEW IT, HE SAID LOCK HIM UP LAST NIGHT, HE’S NOT ALLOWED TO SAY THAT!” – President @realDonaldTrump comments on Joe Biden’s comments to “lock him up!” pic.twitter.com/dRF7mM8rwr
— Real America’s Voice (RAV) (@RealAmVoice) October 24, 2024
The White House, predictably, scrambled to spin it, with Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre clarifying that Biden “meant lock him out politically.” But it’s hard to put the genie back in the bottle, especially when Trump’s lawyers seized on the gaffe to call for a dismissal of the election interference case, arguing it’s proof of Biden meddling in the election. After all, hearing the sitting president all but call for his main rival’s incarceration while he faces federal charges? Talk about the kind of “democracy” usually found in a banana republic.
Q: What did the president mean when he said last night about Donald Trump, ‘we you gotta lock him up?'”@PressSec: “He meant lock him out politically.” pic.twitter.com/0gd0ymBpCh
— CSPAN (@cspan) October 23, 2024
Now, here’s the kicker: Biden’s team knows full well that framing Trump as a “threat” is their ace card. Biden even went as far as describing Trump’s supposed willingness to “physically eliminate” a perceived threat. That’s a wild accusation even for Biden’s standards, and to hear it from the guy with the nuclear codes only adds fuel to Trump’s fire, making Biden look, well, a little “unhinged” himself. If Biden’s aiming for the “elder statesman” look, it’s missing the mark by a mile.
As for Trump’s supporters, they’re loving every minute. This stumble plays right into Trump’s claims of political persecution and election interference, especially as he campaigns in swing states like Arizona and Georgia. By making himself the target of Biden’s “lock him up” rhetoric, Trump rallies his base under the narrative that he’s fighting against a weaponized government. He’s branded himself as the outsider up against an establishment that wants to stop him at all costs—an image that’s galvanized supporters and played well in the polls.
Biden’s blunder could very well be a gift Trump never saw coming. For every attempt the administration makes to paint Trump as the unstable one, Biden and Harris’ own words seem to do the trick for the other side. With less than two weeks left, Biden’s misstep has given Trump fresh ammo, making it clear that Biden’s narrative on “saving democracy” might just be backfiring big time.
