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Fact Check: Did Trump Say 'Lock Her Up' About Hillary Clinton? [1]
['Tom Norton', 'Timothy Head', 'John Mac Ghlionn']
Date: 2024-06-03 11:23:53-04:00
Donald Trump has attempted to distance himself from comments calling for former political rival Hillary Clinton to be imprisoned after he became the first U.S. president to be convicted of a crime.
Last week, Trump, the presumptive Republican 2024 presidential nominee, was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 hush money payment allegedly made to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing and said the case was politically motivated. Addressing reporters at the Trump Tower lobby in Manhattan, Trump said on Friday that he would appeal the verdict, although he would have to wait until after his sentencing on July 11.
As Trump continues to profess his innocence, he told interviewers on Fox News that he never previously joined calls to imprison 2016 presidential election rival Hillary Clinton.
Former President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower on May 30 in New York City. Over the weekend, Trump denied ever saying "lock her up" about former political rival Hillary Clinton. Former President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower on May 30 in New York City. Over the weekend, Trump denied ever saying "lock her up" about former political rival Hillary Clinton. James Devaney/GC Images
The Claim
During an interview on Fox & Friends Weekend on Sunday, June 2, 2024, Donald Trump denied saying "Lock her up" about Hillary Clinton.
"You famously said, regarding Hillary Clinton, 'Lock her up.' You declined to do that as president," Fox News's Will Cain said.
Trump responded: "I beat her, it's easier when you win.
"And they always said 'lock her up,' and I felt—and I could have done it—but I felt it would have been a terrible thing. And then this happened to me.
"And, so I may feel differently about it. I can't tell you, I'm not sure I can answer the question. Hillary Clinton—I didn't say lock her up but the people would always say 'Lock her up, lock her up.'"
The Facts
The "lock her up" chant was ignited in the wake of the Clinton email scandal in which former Democratic secretary of state and 2016 presidential nominee was investigated by the FBI in the run-up to the election that year after being found to have used a personal email server for official communications, including some that the FBI said contained classified information.
The FBI said it found no evidence of intentional misconduct tantamount to criminality, though former Director James Comey said Clinton and her aides had been "extremely careless" in their handling of classified information.
While Trump has occasionally attempted to distance himself from the chant, telling crowds after his 2016 election win "Now we don't say that," he has repeatedly suggested or outright called for Clinton's imprisonment.
June 2016
At a rally in Redding, California, Trump said Clinton should be in jail.
"I think Hillary is very weak, I think she's pathetic, I think she should be in jail for what she did with her emails, ok? I think she should be in jail."
October 2016
At a rally in Lakeland, Florida, Trump again referenced the Clinton email scandal, reasoning why he wanted to see her in jail.
"She gets a subpoena, she gets a subpoena and after—not before, that would be bad—but after getting the subpoena to give over your emails and lots of other things, she deleted the emails. She has to go to jail."
The same month, Trump debated Clinton on national television, telling the former secretary of state that he would put her in jail if he was in charge of the law.
Clinton attacked Trump, saying: "It's just awfully good that someone with the temperament of Donald Trump is not in charge of the law in our country," to which he replied, "Because you'd be in jail."
Trump also said he would appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the email scandal again, telling her that people had their lives "destroyed for doing one fifth of what you've done."
September 2017
In Huntsville, Alabama, Trump told crowds that they "gotta speak to" then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions, as they repeated the "lock her up" chant.
August 2018
At a rally in Pennsylvania, he responded to crowds chanting "lock her up" by suggesting their request might be met.
"No, no, no, they only want to hurt Republicans, they don't want to do anything," he said, adding, "But, you know what, it's all changing folks, it's all changing. Some things just take a little bit longer. You look at some of the criminal actions and crimes, they only want to go after Republicans."
January 2020
In Toledo, Ohio, Trump boasted about the success of his MAGA campaign, compared to the amount spent by Democrats in the 2016 election, before outright calling to "lock her up."
Responding to crowds, chanting "lock her up," Trump said: "You should lock her up, I tell ya."
October 2020
Delivering a speech in Florida, Trump said that he agreed with "lock her up" chants, saying that he had changed his mind.
"Yeah. I agree with you. I used to just be quiet on that. I agree with you 100 percent," he said.
The same month, in Macon, Georgia, Trump spoke about President Joe Biden's family, saying before the crowd began chanting that they "and others" were corrupt.
Trump responded: "Lock them up, you should lock them up. Lock up the Bidens, lock up Hillary, lock 'em up."
Newsweek has contacted a media representative for Trump via email for comment.
The Ruling
True.
Trump has strongly suggested or outright said that Hillary Clinton should be imprisoned on multiple occasions.
FACT CHECK BY Newsweek's Fact Check team
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https://www.newsweek.com/fact-check-did-trump-say-lock-her-about-hillary-clinton-1907412
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