‘Lock Him Up!’ Chants Heard at the DNC as Hillary Clinton Flips the Script
Hillary Clinton probably appeared on the first night of the Democratic National Convention yesterday in Chicago, Illinois. After losing to Donald Trump for president in 2016, Clinton most likely enjoyed some karmic retribution when the crowd began to chant “Lock Him Up!”
Despite failing to become the first woman president of the United States, Clinton backed up current VEEP Kamala Harris as President amid an exciting and groundbreaking convention.
Lock Her Up!
The rallying cry by Trump supporters repeated during his first bid for president, “Lock her up,” holds little weight now that Clinton was found innocent and Trump has been convicted of 34 felon counts in his historic hush money trial.
The case convened in May marked the first time that a former president became guilty of felony charges. Despite the many trials that Trump has been put through, he is still a Republican presidential candidate. Many former Clinton supporters and Democratic voters find the situation ironic.
Hillary's Emails
The email controversy that started the “Lock her up” chant was initiated because it was found Clinton and her staffers were using a private email server while serving in the State Department.
Elected officials are meant to use email accounts maintained on federal servers so they can’t hide information from the US government or constituents.
Trump's Current Criminal Cases
On top of being found criminally liable for rape in the E. Jean Carroll case in 2023 and paying out thousands, he is also going through four concurrent criminal trials.
A recent judgment by the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Donald Trump when they decided presidents would be impugned for actions taken while in office, effectively getting him out of the accusations connected to the January 6 riots. However, he was found guilty of 34 felony counts of fear under campaign finance laws when he used $130,000 of campaign money to pay adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about their affair.
Clinton Relished the Moment
After being humiliated by Trump in the 2016 election with sexist and hurtful claims, Clinton took the stage on the first night of the 2024 DNC, where she noted that “Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial. When he woke up, he’d made his own kind of history: the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions.”
The crowd roared back, “Lock him up!” while Clinton smiled approvingly with their sentiment.
Trump Is Falling Behind
Despite his immense success during the 2016 election, he failed to pull ahead in 2020. During the current election cycle, the Trump campaign assumed that they had the election in the bag against current President Joe Biden, who has been suffering from noticeable cognitive slip-ups for the past few months and had a less-than-impressive performance during the presidential debate in July.
Since Kamala Harris took over on the top of the Democratic presidential ticket, Trump has slipped behind in the polls by a 3-point margin.
Clinton Supporting a New Women Presidential Hopeful
Many people have speculated that Clinton might be bitter that Harris is assuming the new role of potential first female President of the United States, a role that her campaign rested on.
“Together we put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling,” Clinton said. “Tonight, so close to breaking through once and for all, I want to tell you what I see through all those cracks—and why it matters for each and every one of us.”
A Friendly Relationship
Despite being in a similar role eight years apart, it’s been confirmed that Clinton and Harris have grown close during the Biden presidency.
The two have had dinner together at Clinton’s D.C. mansion, which is also adjacent to the vice president’s residence at the Naval Observatory. Clinton allegedly helped Harris narrow down her choice for running mate.
Clinton Was an Early Supporter
After Joe Biden dropped out of the official presidential race and named Harris as his predecessor, Clinton and her husband, the former president, were one of the first to endorse her candidacy.
She even beat the Obamas to the punch. On the second day of the DNC, the former presidential couple is expected to deliver the keynote speech.
Other Speakers at the DNC
Next to former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, Harris’s husband, Doug Emhoff, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker are scheduled to speak.
After taking the stage on Wednesday night of the convention, Harris is expected to officially accept the democratic nomination for presidency.
Democratic National Delegates Will Vote
Although a virtual vote took place more than two weeks ago, the Democratic National Convention delegates will hold a ceremonial roll call tonight to vote for nominee Vice President Kamala Harris for president.
The delegates are made up of members of the United States Democratic Party who participate in political day jobs like city administrators or state legislators.