(The Hill) – Former President Donald Trump said Sunday that he never called for former election rival Hillary Clinton to be sent to jail, despite making the demand during his 2016 campaign.
Trump, who himself could face jail time after being found guilty of 34 felony counts on Thursday, brushed off a recounting of his campaign trail attacks against Clinton during a “Fox & Friends” interview.
“You famously said, regarding Hillary Clinton, ‘Lock her up.’ You declined to do that as president,” Fox News’s Will Cain said to the former president.
“I beat her,” Trump replied. “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.”
“I didn’t say ‘lock her up,’ but the people said ‘lock her up, lock her up,’” Trump continued. “Then, we won. And 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.”
Trump did repeatedly demand Clinton be sent to prison during his campaign, however, and the “lock her up” chant was a signature of his supporters at his rallies, even after the 2016 election.
Just before that election, he did commit to investigate Clinton with a special counsel, though one was never appointed.
It’s unknown whether Trump will face a prison sentence after being convicted of falsifying business documents. The charges carry a maximum sentence of four years, though he could also be levied fines, home confinement or probation.
His sentencing is scheduled for July 11. Trump has appealed the conviction.