Ex-president calls Hopkinsā€™ cannibalistic Lecter ā€˜late, greatā€™ while condemning ā€˜people who are being released into our countryā€™

Donald Trump on Saturday praised fictional serial killer Hannibal Lecter ā€œas a wonderful manā€ before segueing into comments disparaging people who have immigrated into the US without permission.

The former presidentā€™s remarks to political rally-goers in Wildwood, New Jersey, as he challenges Joe Bidenā€™s re-election in November were a not-so-subtle rhetorical bridge exalting Anthony Hopkinsā€™ cannibalistic Lecter in Silence of the Lambs as ā€œlate [and] greatā€ while simultaneously condemning ā€œpeople who are being released into our country that we donā€™t wantā€.

Trump delivered his address to an estimated crowd of about 80,000 supporters under the shadow of the Great White roller coaster in a 1950s-kitsch seaside resort 90 miles (144.8km) south of Philadelphia.

The occasion served for Trump to renew his stated admiration for Lecter, as heā€™s done before, after the actor Mads Mikkleson ā€“ who previously portrayed Lecter in a television series ā€“ once described Trump as ā€œa fresh wind for some peopleā€.

  • FinishingDutch@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    Iā€™m honestly baffled as to why a movie character would even come up in a political speech, much less this incoherently.

    And yes, itā€™s a quote, itā€™s a funny lineā€¦ why is he using it? Itā€™s utterly silly. Iā€™m also confused by the ā€˜late, greatā€™ as if this was an actual person who had died, as opposed to a fictional character who hasnā€™t died in any book, movie or show Iā€™m familiar with. And Anthony Hopkins is very much alive as well, as is writer Thomas Harris.

    It doesnā€™t make anyā€¦ goddamnā€¦ sense.

    Please donā€™t elect this guy again.

    • Kit@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      6 months ago

      Apparently this isnā€™t the first time that he has related illegal immigrants to Hannibal. Iā€™m not sure what he means by this - is he implying theyā€™re cannibals?

      • FinishingDutch@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        Heck, maybe heā€™s hoping Hannibal Lecter likes Mexican food, if you know what I mean.

        God only knows what Trumpā€™s thinking. Though heā€™s likely to be as confused as the rest of us mere mortalsā€¦

      • triptrapper@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        Well as a native English speaker, I didnā€™t see how heā€™s relating the two at all. Heā€™s just saying two unrelated things one after the other, with no segue. Itā€™s just braindead.

      • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        Maybe heā€™s getting hungry while heā€™s up there rambling and thinking he wants to eat them. Maybe someone told him about Swiftā€™s A Modest Proposal and he didnā€™t realize it was satire, but maybe thought it was a good idea.

    • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      Iā€™m thinking heā€™s gone beyond RFK jr - he has brain worms and mercury poisoning. But also lead poisoning, possibly Adderall/cocaine abuseā€¦