Attorney General Jeff Sessions responded to criticism surrounding his participation in a student event where the chant “Lock her up!” spontaneously broke out during his appearance.

According to Fox News, the Alabama native said that “perhaps” he could have used the event as an opportunity to teach students about the criminal justice system, including the fact that “you are presumed innocent until cases are made.”

The chant “Lock her up!” was a popular refrain during the 2016 campaign as Hillary Clinton faced an FBI investigation into the use of her private server. The chant even held a prominent place in the proceedings at that year’s Republican National Convention.

For Sessions, the media backlash was immediate, with CNN breaking in on their daily news coverage to criticize the Sessions appearance.

Others declared a ‘media overreaction’ to the whole event, citing the light-hearted nature of Sessions’ response to the chant.

Sessions’ statement did not include an apology.