Biden believes Trump is a fascist, Karine Jean-Pierre says moments after insisting he didn't mean 'lock him up'

President Joe Biden believes erstwhile President Donald Trump is simply a fascist, property caput Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday, moments aft insisting the 81-year-old didn't mean 'lock him up' literally.

During a travel to New Hampshire Tuesday, Biden said of Trump, 'We got to fastener him up,' earlier clarifying and saying helium meant 'politically.' 

Jean-Pierre reiterated that constituent during Wednesday's briefing saying Biden spoke 'very clearly' erstwhile making the 'lock him up' jab - thing Trump supporters primitively said astir 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. 

Moments aboriginal the property caput was asked for Biden's instrumentality connected comments made by Trump's erstwhile Chief of Staff John Kelly - who told The New York Times that the GOP nominee met the explanation of being a fascist and had said immoderate affirmative things astir Nazi person Adolf Hitler. 

'I mean - yes,' Jean-Pierre answered erstwhile a newsman asked if Biden believed Trump was a fascist.

'He said himself,' the property caput continued. 'The erstwhile president said helium was going to beryllium a dictator connected time one. We cannot disregard that.' 

Jean-Pierre besides brought up January 6. 

'Their lives were ruined due to the fact that of that day,' she said, bringing up instrumentality enforcement officers and those who witnessed the unit connected Capitol Hill. 'Because 2,000 radical were told by the erstwhile president to spell there, to find the erstwhile vice president, to halt a escaped and just election.' 

During the Wednesday briefing, Jean-Pierre was archetypal asked astir Biden saying that Trump should beryllium locked up - a astonishing remark from the sitting president, arsenic the Democrat has pushed for the state to get distant from that benignant of divisive rhetoric. 

But with conscionable 2 weeks to spell earlier Election Day, Biden made off-the-cuff remarks to a radical of Democratic run workers successful Concord, New Hampshire, sounding the alarm astir Trump. 

'This is simply a feline who besides wants to regenerate each civilian servant, each azygous one; thinks helium has a close nether the Supreme tribunal ruling connected immunity to beryllium able, if request beryllium ... to really elimintate – physically eliminate, shoot, termination – idiosyncratic who is, helium believes would beryllium a menace to him,' Biden said. 

'I mean, so, I cognize this sounds bizarre. It sounds like, I said this 5 years agone – "you'd fastener maine up." We gotta fastener him up,' Biden said. 'Politically fastener him up,' Biden clarified a fewer seconds later.

The president's comments played close into Trump's claims that the Biden White House - and not an autarkic Department of Justice - has been down his bevy of ineligible troubles. 

When asked astir it Wednesday, Jean-Pierre somewhat changed up Biden's wording. 

'So look, the president spoke astir this precise clearly, arsenic well, successful his connection and helium said helium meant fastener him retired politically, politically fastener him out,' she answered. 

'Look, let's not hide this is simply a president that has ne'er shied distant from being precise wide successful laying down what is astatine involvement successful this election,' she continued. 'I'm going to beryllium precise mindful to not talk astir the 2024 predetermination that is little than 2 weeks ago, but this is conscionable speaking to what the president said past night, helium made clear, helium made precise wide yesterday that helium was referring to defeating, to defeating Donald Trump.'

'That is what helium was talking about, helium said politically, politically fastener him out,' she added. 

A newsman pointed retired Biden doubly said 'lock him up' and asked if that meant decision Trump.

'Well it's not what I'm saying, it's what helium said ... helium clarified himself. He wanted to marque definite things were enactment successful context,' Jean-Pierre answered. 'This is the president himself going backmost to explain, to explain, to accidental that helium was talking astir politically, politically fastener him up.' 

She was past asked for Biden's instrumentality connected the Kelly assertions. 

'Do we hold astir that determination? Yes, yes we do,' Jean-Pierre said.