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."

1. 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/.
2. As cited above.
3. 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.
4. As cited above.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Ibid.