At an event in New Hampshire on October 22, President Joe Biden made a surprising remark about his political rival, former President Donald Trump. Speaking to a crowd of Democrats, Biden suggested that Trump should be locked up 14 days before the presidential election. However, he quickly clarified that he was talking about “politically” locking him up, not actual imprisonment.

Biden made the comment while discussing Trump’s potential plans if he were to win a second term. He said, “I know this sounds bizarre – it sounds like if I said this five years ago, you’d lock me up. We gotta lock him up.” His words were a clear reference to the tense political climate surrounding Trump, and he was using it as a metaphor for preventing Trump from returning to power.

This moment echoed the famous chants from Trump’s 2016 campaign rallies where crowds would shout “Lock her up!” in reference to Hillary Clinton. Trump, however, has distanced himself from those chants, claiming in a June interview with Fox News that he did not start them. “Hillary Clinton, I didn’t say ‘lock her up,’ but the people would all say ‘lock her up, lock her up,’” Trump explained.

Following Biden’s remarks, a source close to the president told the New York Post that his comment was not meant to call for Trump’s actual imprisonment but to emphasize the political battle ahead. In response, the Trump campaign issued a statement, urging Vice President Kamala Harris to speak against Biden’s comments.

As the 2024 election approaches, tensions between Biden and Trump continue to rise, with both candidates taking jabs at each other in the lead-up to the vote. Biden’s latest remarks highlight the fierce competition and the political stakes as both sides prepare for a heated election season.