Trump's Convenient Amnesia: The Vanishing Act of 'Lock Her Up' from Rally Rhetoric

In a stunning display of historical revisionism, Donald Trump now denies ever championing the infamous "lock her up" chant against Hillary Clinton, despite its ubiquitous presence throughout his 2016 presidential campaign. During a recent interview on "Fox and Friends" Weekend Edition, the former president conveniently distanced himself from the incendiary rhetoric that once echoed fervently at his rallies.

Addressing Trump's past calls for Clinton's incarceration, Fox News co-host Will Cain delicately broached the topic, framing Trump's apparent clemency as a virtue. However, Trump shamelessly disavowed any association with the fervent demands for his one-time political opponent's imprisonment.

I beat her," Trump asserted, audaciously brushing aside the calls for retribution. "It's easier when you win. They always said, 'Lock her up.' And I could have done it, but I felt it would have been a terrible thing.

Attempting to deflect culpability onto his supporters, Trump shifted the narrative, claiming innocence in the chants that once reverberated throughout his rallies. "Hillary Clinton — I didn't say, 'Lock her up,' but the people would all say, 'Lock her up, lock her up,'" he asserted, attempting to rewrite his own history.

Yet, Trump's revisionist narrative stands in stark contradiction to the undeniable reality of his past statements and promises. Throughout his 2016 campaign, he not only endorsed the calls for Clinton's imprisonment but also vowed to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate her use of a private email server.

While Trump momentarily softened his stance after his electoral victory, expressing gratitude to Clinton for her service to the nation, by 2020, he reverted to his old playbook. Responding to chants of "lock her up" at a rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, he eagerly endorsed the sentiment, signaling a return to his combative rhetoric.

Now, as Trump faces the consequences of his own legal troubles, with a jury finding him guilty on 34 felony counts, the irony of his selective memory is palpable. Scheduled for sentencing just days before the Republican National Convention, Trump's fate remains uncertain, raising questions about whether the architect of "lock her up" chants will face his own reckoning behind bars.

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