Ex-president calls Hopkins’ cannibalistic Lecter ‘late, great’ while condemning ‘people who are being released into our country’

Donald Trump on Saturday praised fictional serial killer Hannibal Lecter “as a wonderful man” before segueing into comments disparaging people who have immigrated into the US without permission.

The former president’s remarks to political rally-goers in Wildwood, New Jersey, as he challenges Joe Biden’s re-election in November were a not-so-subtle rhetorical bridge exalting Anthony Hopkins’ cannibalistic Lecter in Silence of the Lambs as “late [and] great” while simultaneously condemning “people who are being released into our country that we don’t want”.

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 he’s done before, after the actor Mads Mikkleson – who previously portrayed Lecter in a television series – once described Trump as “a fresh wind for some people”.

  • mommykink
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    197 months ago

    Is there a transcript for the full speech anywhere? I’m not going to listen to audio of Trump talking but this article feels like it’s doing a bit of cherry picking.

    • Diplomjodler
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      237 months ago

      The full quote is given in another comment. And no, it doesn’t make any sense whatsoever, even by Donnie’s lofty standards.

      • barooboodoo (he/him)
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        187 months ago

        I’m honestly flabbergasted that after a decade of insane Trump quotes people still think context will make them any less insane.

        • Kalkaline
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          197 months ago

          It’s important to give the full quotes because it further establishes that Trump and Biden are not equivalent. Biden will stumble over his words from time to time while making a coherent thought while Trump is confusing asylum with Silence of the Lambs.

          • barooboodoo (he/him)
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            47 months ago

            I agree completely, I’m more referring to OP saying they might be cherry picking. Journalists always try to generously interpret his ramblings instead of pretending like anyone with half a brain is reading their articles and making up their mind for themselves.

    • AFK BRB Chocolate
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      137 months ago

      This comment has the whole quote. It’s usually a mistake to try and make sense out of what he says, but it kind of looks like he’s trying to invoke the image of the cannibalistic serial killer and then saying that’s the kind of criminal we’re releasing.

    • @[email protected]
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      27 months ago

      I can’t seem to find audio or video on that link (mobile). So it’s even worse to hear someone talk about it but not give any sources.