Un-silence of the lambs: Donald Trump praises fictional serial killer Hannibal Lecter at rally
By: David Jackson (USA TODAY)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
David JacksonUSA TODAY
WASHINGTON - Former President Donald Trump replayed an odd campaign-and-movie riff over the weekend: Praise for a fictional cannibal and murderer, one of the most evil characters in the history of cinema.
Hannibal Lecter.
"The late, great Hannibal Lecter," Trump said during a rally Saturday in Wildwood, N..J., citing the psycho protagonist of the novel and Oscar-winning film "The Silence of the Lambs" while discussing immigration policy.
Trump praised Lecter - portrayed by Oscar-winning Anthony Hopkins in the 1991 film - while attacking migrants who are in the United States illegally.
"Has anyone ever seen 'The Silence of the Lambs'?" Trump told a crowd of supporters. "The late, great Hannibal Lecter. He's a wonderful man."
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Trump, who did speak in mocking tones and did not appear to be serious, then made reference to the film's famous final scene in which Lecter follows his next victim down a crowded street.
"I'm having an old friend for dinner," Lecter's character had just said in a phone call with newly minted FBI agent Clarice Starling (portrayed by Jodie Foster in another Oscar-winning performance).
At his New Jersey rally, Trump said: "He often times would have a friend for dinner. Remember the last scene? 'Excuse me, I'm about to have a friend for dinner,' as this poor doctor walked by. 'I'm about to have a friend for dinner.'"
Trump closed his tribute by saying: "But Hannibal Lecter. Congratulations. The late, great Hannibal Lecter."
It was unclear whether Trump was saying the United States should act like Hannibal Lecter, or whether he was comparing some migrants to the crazed serial killer.
Trump has praised Lecter and The Silence of the Lambs in years past, calling the latter one of his favorite movies.
The former president has invoked Lecter while echoing his highly exaggerated claims that prisoners and mental patients are pouring across the U.S. border. "That's 'Silence Of The Lambs;' that's Hannibal Lecter," Trump said during the New Hampshire primary campaign. "Did you ever hear of Hannibal Lecter? They're being dropped into our country. Hannibal Lecter is coming in."
During a 2023 event in Iowa, Trump confused the character with Hopkins by saying, "Hannibal Lecter, how great an actor was he?" The former president also mistakenly quoted the actor as saying he loved Trump, though there is no record of such a comment ever being made.
Trump's Saturday tribute in New Jersey to a movie character killer drew criticism from his opponents.
On the social media site X, foreign policy author Anne Applebaum wrote: "At what other moment in American history could a presidential candidate praise a fictional serial killer, and inspire almost no reaction at all?"
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he really should get some new material for his maga moron comedy tour...
Pretty much sums up Trump's speaking these days. He's a step away from the funny farm and drool cup himself.
his diminishing mental acuity is becoming more noticeable lately...
Trump can ramble on about whatever comes to his mind. It does not have to make any sense. It can lead to no point whatsoever. It is just rambling and none of his supporters seem to care that Trump is just feeding them a steady diet of bullshit and bloviation.
they willingly lap it up and beg for more...
Sounds more like Biden supporters to me. Especially the feeding in bullshit part.
Do better than mechanically substituting Biden and Ds in place of Trump and Rs.
It is obvious and demonstrable that Trump feeds his supporters constant bullshit and bloviation. All one need do is listen to his speeches. They are rambling, replete with lies, and at times just bizarre. Case in point is the "late, great Hannibal Lecter" and the "Gettysburg, wow!" ramblings.
Biden will tell the occasional fabricated (e.g. "Corn Pop") story, and sometimes fumble with words, but at least he has a point and generally gives speeches that have an objective and a clear message. Biden speaks as a PotUS. Trump says whatever comes to mind ... probably thinking that his supporters are happy just to hear his sweet voice no matter what he utters.
I have never seen any politician bullshit and bloviate like Trump. He is in a league of his own.
Emphatically. I am watching the media 'fall' all over themselves calling over and over and over and . . . . ad nauseum Michael Cohen a liar. . . (who did it for Donald's admiration sake) and Donald too are sitting in judgement of Cohen-who, at least, takes the witness stand. . . when Donald can't testify because he even lies about being willing to testify. Donald would perjure himself over and over and over and. . . . And yet the media won't bring out that hypocrisy of Donald's team.
Of course he chose to go there, as warped as it is…
The gop is intent on cannibalising their party. Less ‘silence of the lambs’ and more ‘bleating of the sheep.’
what GOP civil war??? LOL, I'm loving it...
"Has anyone ever seen 'The Silence of the Lambs'?" Trump told a crowd of supporters. "The late, great Hannibal Lecter. He's a wonderful man."
A wonderful man indeed-- but what he did was only on a small scale, Trump really should be praising those who had a really big "wonderful" impact: Stalin, Hitler, etc!!!
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Does anybody remember this series on television sets. . . it 'ended' prematurely (was taken off the air on the West Coast anyway) owing to some national emergency that occurred in I believe it was 2015? It was the most psychotic episodic show I believe to ever appear on U.S. television (it was sick in the head) and it was despairing because it was never-ending cult behavior that killed regular folks as often as specific individuals all for the cause of the "cult leader" who simply did not care about human life.
Donald comes to mind. . .really.
Jammed with Kevin and his band one night in KC. (Mustang Sally)
Must have been a treat. Celebrity status moment.
Hannibal for Border Czar. /s
usda meat inspector...
Still would be better and more effective than the current border czar. Of course an empty chair would be better than we have now.
Funny... If Hannibal Lecter was a real person, he would be a far better person than trump.
Yeah, Donald is sending mental (images) messages again. It could be attempted as an argument in this trial, as an example of how Donald projects violent mental images out into the world. . .looking for an 'antenna' to pick up on them and act! Leaving him with plausible deniability. (AKA: Playing stupid.)
You might be right...
Interesting 'work' there!
Not mine,..... you like it, don't you?...
Greg, I don't routinely mock people—including Donald. Let me be clear(er), I am wondering if the mask is layered on Donald or done with some AI feature.
I like it!