Senile rants in 20 recent speeches extolled "the late, great Hannibal Lecter" ("I love him")
At a rally in Wildwood, New Jersey on May 11, 2024, Trump went on a rant about the fictional Hannibal Lecter, a cannibalistic serial killer from the movie "Silence of the Lambs." Trump told his audience: "The late, great Hannibal Lecter is a wonderful man."1 He continued that Lecter "oftentimes would have a friend for dinner," and concluded by exclaiming: "Hannibal Lecter, congratulations. The late, great Hannibal Lecter."2
Trump has made similar remarks extolling that fictional serial killer in 20 campaign speeches since his campaign kickoff in November 2022.3 In his acceptance speech for the Republican presidential nomination on July 19, 2024, for example, he again mentioned "The late, great Hannibal Lecter," adding, "he'd love to have you for dinner."4
Trump compounded the depravity of his incessant praise for this fictional serial killer with a heavy dose of senility when he explained his repeated praise of Hannibal Lecter on October 7, 2023, at a rally in Iowa. Trump said, "Hannibal Lecter, how great an actor was he?" and continued:
You know why I like him? Because he said on television on one of the — 'I love Donald Trump.' So I love him. I love him. I love him. He said that a long time ago and once he said that, he was in my camp, I was in his camp. I don't care if he was the worst actor, I'd say he was great to me.5
None of the four actors who played Hannibal Lecter in the movies with that character ever said that they loved Trump, however.6 Anthony Hopkins, who played Lecter in "Silence of the Lambs," was "shocked and appalled" by Trump's remarks.7 Trump's repeated praise therefore confused the actor for the character and showed that if someone loved him, Trump would love that person back, even a cannibalistic serial killer.
Trump displayed the same approach to a real-life serial killer, a Mafia killer, "Sammy the Bull" Gravano who was involved in 19 murders. Gravano praised Trump, and Trump reciprocated the nod to Gravano: "Thank you to Sammy the Bull."
- The Washington Post, "Why Donald Trump ended up praising Hollywood's most famous cannibal," May 13, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/13/trump-hannibal-lecter-immigration/; Forbes, "Trump Calls Fictional Hannibal Lecter 'A Wonderful Man' At Rare Campaign Stop During Trial," May 12, 2024, https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2024/05/12/trump-calls-fictional-hannibal-lecter-a-wonderful-man-at-rare-campaign-stop-during-trial/.
- As cited above.
- The Washington Post, "Why Trump keeps talking about fictional serial killer Hannibal Lecter," August 14, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/08/14/why-trump-keeps-talking-about-fictional-serial-killer-hannibal-lecter/; The Washington Post, "Donald Trump keeps talking about Hannibal Lecter (video)," August 14, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/trump-keeps-talking-about-the-late-great-hannibal-lecter/2024/08/14/638eb545-60df-4b9c-98eb-352b2970459c_video.html.
- As cited above.
- HuffPost, "Trump Shows Love To 'Hannibal Lecter' In Killer Blunder At Iowa Rally," October 8, 2023, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-hannibal-lecter_n_65222027e4b09f4b8d405989.
- Newsweek, "Critics Point to 'Missing Link' in Donald Trump's Hannibal Lecter Remarks," July 20, 2024, https://www.newsweek.com/critics-george-conway-point-missing-link-donald-trump-hannibal-lecter-remarks-1927997.
- Ibid.
