Biden expresses intent for Trump's political confinement, saying, "We need to imprison him politically..."
The leader was utilizing a 2016 Trump election slogan directed at Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, a strategy that Vice President Harris, this election's nominee, has dissuaded from on the campaign trail.
Referencing some of Trump's proposed second term strategies, Biden said, "This might sound strange – it would've gotten me locked up if I said this five years ago. We need to put him behind bars, metaphorically speaking."
As the crowd cheer, Biden rectified his statement, "I mean, politically contain him, keep him away. That's what we need to do."
Harris has quelled "lock him up" cries aimed at her Republican competitor, informing her supporters at various rallies, "The judicial system will handle that. We'll defeat him in November."
This was an unusual stance for Biden, who usually steers clear of any suggestions of interference in Trump's legal proceedings. Trump has alleged, without evidence, that the Justice Department has targeted him and his associates for political reasons, while hinting at politicizing the department if he regains the Oval Office.
The Trump campaign swiftly exploited Biden's remarks. "Joe Biden admitted the truth: their strategy has always been to politically persecute their opponent, President Trump, because they can't beat him fairly," said campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt in a statement on Tuesday. "The Harris-Biden administration poses the real threat to democracy. We urge Kamala Harris to denounce Biden's disgraceful comment."
This year, Trump has deliberately misstated that he discouraged his supporters' "lock her up" shouts about Clinton during the 2016 campaign, claiming he'd respond with, "Take it easy, take it easy."
Earlier this year, Trump became the first former president in US history and the first major-party presidential nominee to be found guilty of a felony when a New York jury declared him guilty of all 34 charges of business record fabrication in his hush money case.
Trump is currently involved in three other criminal cases, which he denies guilt to: two concerning election manipulation, one in Georgia and one in federal court, as well as another federal case regarding his alleged handling of classified documents. Trump has also wrongly accused the Biden administration of orchestrating the state-level cases against him.
During an interview with NBC on Tuesday, Harris declined to comment on whether she would pardon Trump, resting on the notion of not "venturing into hypotheticals."
When asked if a pardon could help mend American division, Harris retorted, "Let me tell you what will bring us together: If I'm elected as the U.S. President."
In response to Biden's metaphorical imprisonment comment, Harris discouraged such rhetoric, stating during a rally, "Our focus should be on winning the election, not on politics or legal proceedings." Despite the pressure, Harris has remained firm in avoiding discussions about potential pardons, stressing the importance of focusing on her campaign.
