Former President Donald Trump has falsely denied ever supporting the call to "lock up" Hillary Clinton, despite repeated rallying cries during his 2016 campaign. In a recent statement, Trump also expressed his acceptance of the possibility of facing jail or house arrest after being convicted of 34 felony counts. However, he cautioned that he was uncertain whether the public would tolerate such harsh penalties.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Clinton faced an investigation into her alleged mishandling of classified materials. It was revealed that she had used a private email server to conduct government business while she served as secretary of state, a violation of records retention law. Multiple email chains containing sensitive and even "top secret" information were discovered.

Trump and his allies consistently highlighted this investigation as a scandal throughout the campaign. Trump condemned Clinton's actions as a disgrace and publicly admonished her during a presidential debate. The former FBI Director, James Comey, later stated that while no clear evidence of intentional law violation was found, Clinton and her team were "extremely careless" in handling classified information. Nevertheless, Clinton was never charged with any crime.

In a surprising turn of events, Trump now finds himself facing his own legal troubles related to classified documents. He has been indicted on 40 felony counts, including allegations of mishandling White House documents and obstructing the government's investigation. The charges against him range from willful retention of national defense information to obstruction, concealing documents, and making false statements.

Despite his previous campaign rhetoric, Trump denied ever explicitly calling for Clinton's imprisonment. He attributed the "lock her up" chants to the public sentiment at the time. However, he emphasized that after winning the election, he urged his supporters to move on and focus on making the country great.

Trump's comments about a potential "breaking point" surrounding his sentencing were vague, but concerns have arisen regarding threats of violence. Online supporters of the former president have been calling for violence and harassment against the jurors, judge, and prosecutors involved in his case. Some posts even included personal addresses, reminiscent of the coordination seen prior to the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, which led to numerous injuries and fatalities.

Hundreds of individuals involved in the Capitol attack have already pleaded guilty, with over 200 receiving jail sentences. In a comprehensive report released by a House committee in December 2022, Trump was blamed for inciting the riots through his repeated claims of election fraud.

As the legal proceedings against the former president continue, the potential consequences of his conviction and the public's response remain uncertain. Trump's false denial of supporting Clinton's imprisonment and his warning of public backlash underscores the tension surrounding his legal situation.