I never said that
The president shares his views on incarceration and accountability with the teevee show, 60 Minutes, scheduled for broadcast October 25, 2020. After walking out of the interview, the president leaked the raw video, October 22, 2020. Excerpt:
LESLEY STAHL: So you don’t want to lock up Governor Whitmer but you want to lock up-
TRUMP: When did I lock her up? I never said that.
STAHL: … the Bidens, you want to lock up Obama.
TRUMP: When did I say lock up the Governor? I didn’t say, “Lock up the Governor.”
STAHL: All right, but you-
TRUMP: Why would I lock her up? No, but why didn’t you say, “You don’t want to lock up the Governor?” Of course I don’t want to lock her up. Why would I lock her up?
STAHL: Because you were in front of a rally of people saying it, encouraging it.
TRUMP: I never said it, Lesley. I never said, “Lock up the Governor.”
STAHL: So you don’t want to lock her up?
TRUMP: Lesley, it’s such a vicious that you just said. I never said, “Lock up the Governor of Michigan.” I would never say that.
STAHL: Well, if you-
TRUMP: Why would I say that?
STAHL: Well, what about the Bidens?
TRUMP: She’s doing lockdowns.
STAHL: You want to lock up the Bidens?
TRUMP: No, I don’t want to lock them up, but they certainly should be looked at.
STAHL: Obama? You want to lock up Obama?
TRUMP: No, I don’t want to lock him up, but he spied on my campaign.
STAHL: Do you want to lock up-
TRUMP: Obama and Biden spied on my campaign. Do you know what that is? You know what they did? Do you know how horrible it is, what they did?
STAHL: That’s never been verified.
TRUMP: It’s been totally verified, Lesley.
STAHL: No. I’m sorry.
TRUMP: You’ll find out, but it’s been totally verified.
STAHL: You’ve all but said that Attorney General Barr should go after President Obama. If you lose, you will be here, okay? If you lose. How would you feel if then President Biden went after you?
TRUMP: Oh, he probably will because I think he’s a very dishonest guy and he probably will look for something. Probably will. We’ll see. But you know what? Attorney General Barr has been very nice. That’s all I can tell you. He’s been very nice. He’s been very respectful.
STAHL: [crosstalk] criticized him.
TRUMP: No I didn’t criticize him, it’s just a different personality. They’re very lucky. They’re very lucky because the evidence is overwhelming and Attorney General Barr is a great gentleman. He’s a great gentleman. They are very lucky.
No, I can’t tell you what’s going to happen. I don’t know-
STAHL: I know-
TRUMP: Because I purposely like to stay out of it. You know what? I don’t like to get invol… I can if I want, but I don’t like to get involved. But I think they’ve been very, very lucky. Attorney General Barr is a gentleman.
STAHL: You know, I didn’t want to have this kind of interview.
TRUMP: Of course you did.
STAHL: No, I didn’t.
TRUMP: Of course you did.
STAHL: No, I didn’t.
TRUMP: Well, then you brought up a lot of subjects-
STAHL: Well, I said-
TRUMP: … that were inappropriately brought up.
STAHL: … I’m going to ask you tough questions.
TRUMP: They were inappropriately brought up, right from the beginning. Your first question was, “This is going to be tough questions.”
STAHL: It is.
TRUMP: Well, you set up the interview. It was your first statement was-
STAHL: You’re the President. Don’t you think you should be accountable to the American people?
TRUMP: Excuse me, no, no.