‘Lock HIM Up!’ – Trump Rally Gate-Crashed by Disruptive Leftist Protester as Team Ushers Reporters Away

William FurneyOct 27, 2023

Minute Read

Donald Trump’s taunting of Hillary Clinton has come back to haunt him. Whereas during the 2016 presidential election campaign, Trump repeatedly blasted “lock her up,” those words are now being used against him.

Rally Protest

At a rally in New Hampshire on Monday, Trump stepped out of his vehicle to hear a protester with a megaphone shouting “Lock HIM Up!” His aides then ushered the attending media inside, so they wouldn’t report on the demonstration, observers noted.

Registering for NH Primary

Trump was in the Granite State to register for its primary when the protest erupted shortly afterward, no doubt leaving the former president displeased at having his critical words used against him. Trump is seeking the Republican Party nomination for the 2024 presidential election, after failing to be elected for a second term in the 2020 ballot.

Astonished Reaction

Podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen shared a clip of Trump’s arrival on his X (formerly Twitter) account, saying: “Wow. Trump’s handlers just rushed journalists away after people start chanting ‘Lock him up’ as Trump arrived in New Hampshire.”

‘Manhandling the Media’

Editorial credit: James Andrews1 / Shutterstock.

The video clip appears to show Trump staff almost pushing reporters inside the rally venue so they wouldn’t hear any more chanting of “Lock HIM Up!”

Free Speech

One person on X commented that Trump’s team were seemingly oblivious to the First Amendment to the Constitution, guaranteeing the right to free speech, assembly and the media. “Sounds like they don’t appreciate the first amendment,” said the user, under the handle Double_Anarchy.

Social Media ‘Spin’

Editorial credit: Rokas Tenys / Shutterstock.

Another X user, Chris Garza, said “LOCK HIM UP” and suggested that Trump would most likely put a positive spin on the event on his social media platform.

“I’m betting Trump’s Truth Social post will be how HUGE the crowd was, or that they loved him,” he said.

Intense Dislike of Trump

Still another person on social media — most comments were negative about Trump and the event — said they didn’t want to see the former president ever again.

“I hate him unlike I’ve ever hated anyone and I’ve had a few with good reason to be hated.

I’m ready for him to be locked up and never again be subjected to his face, voice or written words.”

Call to ‘Not Vote’

Image Credit: Matt Smith Photographer / Shutterstock.

Trump told supporters at the New Hampshire rally that they would be better off not voting in the primaries — being held in January — because there were enough people around the country who would vote for him and they should watch out for potential vote rigging instead.

2020 Election Debacle

Trump’s urging of New Hampshire Republicans to monitor the voting instead of taking part in it was a reference to the 2020 presidential election that he falsely claimed was “rigged” and “stolen” from him.

2021 Capitol Attack

Editorial credit: Thomas Hengge / Shutterstock.

Following the 2020 election, Trump continued to erroneously claim he won, and urged his supporters to try disrupt a vote at the US Capitol in January 2021 to confirm Joe Biden as the winner. Rioting broke out and five people were killed. Over 1,000 protesters were arrested and courts have begun handing down lengthy sentences, including 18 years in prison for the leader of the far-right Proud Boys group.

Many Legal Cases

The New Hampshire hecklers chanting “Lock HIM Up!” may have been referring to a swathe of federal and civil cases Trump — who was impeached twice while in office — is fighting. He has been indicted for trying to rob people of their constitutional right to vote in the 2020 election by attempting to overturn the results. Another indictment alleges he took sensitive US government material to his Florida home instead of leaving it at the White House when his term ended. Trump has denied the charges and blames Democrats for coming after him to try stop him getting elected again.

Clinton Taunts

Image Credit: stocklight / Shutterstock.

Trump supporters began chanting “Lock her up!” after he used the slur when he was running against Clinton in the 2016 race. Many Republicans wanted to see the former first lady jailed over using a private email account for correspondence when she was secretary of state — a position that requires the office holder to use secure government email and also for record-keeping. Despite polls predicting a landslide victory for Clinton, she lost the election to Trump.

Trump Ahead of the Pack

Trump is far ahead of his Republican rivals in seeking the GOP nomination for the 2024 race. While onetime challenger Ron DeSantis was close to Trump’s polling lead, the Florida governor has fallen to around 10 percent while Trump remains close to 60 percent of voter support.