Claim: Trump never said 'Lock her up' about Hillary Clinton
Former President Donald Trump said in a June 2 Fox News interview (direct link, archive link) that he never called for the imprisonment of his 2016 Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.
“You famously said, regarding Hillary Clinton, ‘Lock her up,'" Fox co-host Will Cain reminded Trump. "You declined to do that as president.”
Trump responded, “I didn’t say ‘Lock her up,’ but the people would all say ‘Lock her up, lock her up.’” He said he felt imprisoning Clinton would have been “a terrible thing,” adding, “I say – and I said pretty openly, I said, all right, come on, just relax, let’s go, we’ve got to make our country great.”
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Our rating: False
This is a ridiculous attempt at revisionist history. Trump was documented saying the phrase and calling for Clinton's imprisonment numerous times throughout his 2016 presidential term and in the years following. And he rarely signaled a desire to "relax" on this topic.
Numerous instances of Trump saying, 'Lock her up'
This claim contradicts numerous documented instances where Trump explicitly called for Clinton’s imprisonment, including using those exact words. The former president repeatedly used the phrase “lock her up” and encouraged such chants at his rallies throughout his 2016 presidential campaign.
Here are examples of Trump saying "Lock her up" and advocating for Clinton's imprisonment:
- In a June 2, 2016, speech in San Jose, California, Trump declared, "I will say this, Hillary Clinton has to go to jail, OK? She has to go to jail."
- At a rally in Redding, California, the next day, he said, "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? She should be in jail."
- During a presidential debate on Oct. 9, 2016, Trump told Clinton, “Because you’d be in jail,” when she commented that it's "awfully good" that someone of his temperament is not the president.
He reinforced the sentiment at an Oct. 10, 2016, Pennsylvania rally, saying, “‘Lock her up’ is right.”
- During a Florida speech on Oct. 12, 2016, he said, "She has to go to jail."
- In an Oct. 14, 2016, rally in North Carolina, Trump directly said, “For what she’s done, they should lock her up.”
- He shared a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Oct. 15, 2016, saying Clinton "should have been prosecuted and should be in jail."
Despite the fervent calls for Clinton’s imprisonment during his campaign, Trump momentarily shifted his stance following his victory in the 2016 election. On November 9, 2016, during a post-election rally, he lauded Clinton’s service and urged national unity, stating, “Now it is time for America to bind the wounds of division. … I say it is time for us to come together as one united people.”
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However, Trump reverted to stoking the narrative later on. At an Ohio rally in January 2020, he declared, “You should lock her up, I’ll tell you.” Then, at an October 2020 rally in Georgia, amid chants to "lock up" the Bidens, Trump proclaimed, “You should lock them up. Lock up the Bidens. Lock up Hillary.”
Trump’s recent comments come amid his own legal troubles. He was convicted on May 30 on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records and faces the possibility of a prison sentence. His sentencing is scheduled for July 11, with potential penalties including up to 20 years in prison, home confinement, probation or a fine.
PolitiFact also debunked the claim.
Our fact-check sources:
- Roll Call, June 2, 2016, Speech: Donald Trump in San Jose, CA – June 2, 2016
- Roll Call, Oct. 14, 2016, Speech: Donald Trump in Greensboro, NC – October 14, 2016
- Roll Call, Oct. 12, 2016, Speech: Donald Trump Delivers a Campaign Speech in Lakeland, FL – October 12, 2016
- Roll Call, Jan. 9, 2020, Speech: Donald Trump Holds a Political Rally in Toledo, Ohio – January 9, 2020
- Roll Call, Oct. 16, 2020, Speech: Donald Trump Holds a Campaign Rally in Macon, Georgia – October 16, 2020
- Donald J. Trump, Oct. 15, 2016, X post
- C-SPAN, June 3, 2016, Presidential Candidate Donald Trump Rally in Redding, California
- The Washington Post, Oct. 10, 2016, Trump on Clinton: ‘Lock her up is right’
- USA TODAY, Oct. 9, 2016, Trump: If I win, I want special prosecutor looking into Clinton's 'situation'
Melissa Cruz contributed to this story. Jeremy Yurow is a politics reporting fellow based in Hawaii for the USA TODAY Network. You can reach him at JYurow@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter @JeremyYurow.
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