I Was Criticized for My Criticism of the ‘Lock Him Up’ Chant
Using Trump’s own lawlessness against him isn’t clever — it’s amplifying the damage
There is no question that Donald Trump is a terrible president. Between the incessant lying, self-dealing from the White House to benefit his own corporation, racists rants, defiling of the post–Cold War global order, and inhumane imprisonment of families and children on the southern U.S. border, he is objectively the worst president in at least a generation. Let’s face it, he’s in the running for worst U.S. president of all time.
So when the World Series crowd in D.C. reacted on Sunday to his image being projected on the Jumbotron, the jeers and boos were immediate and apparent even to the television-viewing audience. The camera stayed with Trump’s expression, and I saw a slight cringe, although I may be projecting my own imagined response a bit.
But then the chant started: “Lock him up!” the crowd screamed over and over. And that’s when my reaction changed.
The environment presents a unique circumstance. The crowd was probably slightly inebriated and maybe a bit frustrated with the home team’s inability to generate much offense after a hopeful series beginning. They mockingly took up the phrase that is so often chanted at…
