WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, President Joe Biden flipped the narrative on Donald Trump, stating it might be time to “lock him up” – but only in a political context.

During a gathering of campaign workers in New Hampshire, Biden cautioned that the upcoming Nov. 5 election poses a threat to democracy and urged citizens to consider the implications of a Trump victory.

Biden, who previously defeated Trump in the 2020 election, criticized the former president for believing he has the legal backing from a recent Supreme Court decision regarding presidential immunity, which he suggested could lead Trump to consider extreme measures against those he views as threats.

“If I had made this statement five years ago, you would have locked me up,” Biden remarked at the New Hampshire Democratic Headquarters in Concord. “We need to lock him up.”

He quickly clarified, adding: “Politically lock him up. Lock him out. That’s our goal.”

Biden has typically avoided discussing Trump’s legal issues, directing all inquiries about the former president’s criminal cases to the Justice Department.

A jury in New York found Trump guilty in May of 34 felony counts related to hush money payments to a former adult film star with whom he allegedly had an affair. He is set to be sentenced on Nov. 26, just weeks after the election.

Additionally, Trump faces multiple charges in three other cases related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results and mishandling classified documents after his presidency. He has pleaded not guilty to these outstanding charges.

Rallies for Trump’s Democratic challenger, Vice President Kamala Harris, often feature chants of “lock him up.” Nevertheless, Harris has attempted to quell those chants by emphasizing her intention to allow the Justice Department to handle Trump’s legal problems while she focuses on winning at the polls.

In response to Biden’s comments, Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt criticized the President’s statements made in New Hampshire.

“Joe Biden has just revealed their true intentions: He and Kamala’s plan has always been to politically target their opponent, President Trump, because they feel they cannot defeat him fairly,” she said.

Supporters of Trump have also called for the imprisonment of his political rivals. The chant “lock her up” became a staple at Trump rallies during his first campaign against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Trump himself has repeatedly threatened to investigate or retaliate against those he perceives as his adversaries.