At the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, a crowd of enthusiastic attendees broke into loud chants of “lock him up” after former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took aim at former President Donald Trump and his ongoing legal issues.
The three-beat chant was a striking reversal of the “lock her up” refrain that became synonymous with Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign against Clinton. During that campaign, Trump frequently energized his supporters with sharp criticisms of Clinton’s tenure as Secretary of State, particularly her use of a private email server, and he even vowed to imprison her, told Express.
Clinton, now 76, did not respond directly to the chants. Instead, she attempted to continue speaking over the crowd when the chanting first began. However, as the noise grew louder and more persistent, Clinton chose to stand at the podium, smiling and nodding in acknowledgment until the crowd eventually quieted down.
The outburst from the crowd was triggered by Clinton’s pointed remarks about Trump’s legal predicaments. She specifically mocked Trump for appearing to fall asleep during a courtroom session in Manhattan earlier this summer, where he faced trial over hush-money payments.
“When he woke up,” Clinton quipped, “he made his own kind of history: the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions.”
The audience erupted in cheers and chants following this remark, signaling their approval of Clinton’s criticism of Trump and his current legal challenges.
The moment was a vivid reminder of the deep divisions that remain between supporters of Clinton and Trump, as well as the lingering tensions from the 2016 election. For many in the crowd, the chants of “lock him up” represented a sense of poetic justice, turning the tables on the slogan that once targeted Clinton.
As the convention continued, the episode served as a rallying point for Democrats, uniting them in their opposition to Trump as he once again seeks the presidency amid a cloud of legal issues. The incident highlighted how Clinton, despite being out of the political spotlight in recent years, still holds significant sway and can stir strong emotions among her supporters.