Internet slams Donald Trump as he compares migrants to Hannibal Lecter during 'vile' CPAC speech

OXON HILL, MARYLAND: In a sprawling, nearly 90-minute address at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, former President Donald Trump unleashed a tirade against President Biden's immigration policies, likening migrants to the fictional cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter.

During his speech on Saturday, February 24, Trump asserted that migrants were emerging from "insane asylums" and contributing to what he dubbed as "migrant crime," a term he introduced as a purportedly new category of criminal activity.

“I wanted to call it Biden migrant crime [but that was] just too long,” Trump quipped on stage. “So we just call it migrant crime." He went on to claim that this new category of crime, fueled by migrants with backgrounds from prisons, jails, and mental institutions, would be more severe than traditional violent crime. 

Donald Trump compares migrants to Hannibal

Drawing a chilling parallel, he described these institutions as "mental institutions on steroids" akin to the infamous facility depicted in 'Silence of the Lambs,' where Hannibal Lecter, a fictional character known for his cannibalistic tendencies, was housed.

“We have a new category of migrant crime, and it's going to be more severe than violent crime and crime as we know it,” he said. “Because we have millions and millions of people and they came from prisons and jails. They came from mental institutions, and [were] insane."

“So they're not the same thing. An insane asylum is a mental institution on steroids. It's Silence of the Lambs. Okay, you know that Hannibal Lecter? They're all being deposited into our country,” he claimed. “And then you have terrorists and then you have drugs. And then you have human traffickers, and they're coming over at levels never [seen] before."

Trump's speech delved into his administration's immigration policies, boasting about purported accomplishments such as the construction of over 571 miles of border wall and the end of catch-and-release practices.

“We've never seen anything like this. Three years ago, we had the safest and most secure border in US history.” he insisted. “We ended catch and release except when it was catch and release in Mexico. We had catch and release in our country. We built 571 miles of border wall – far more than I said I was going to build.”

Border Patrol Chief's Revelations

The former president's remarks came on the heels of recent revelations by US Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens, who disclosed that thousands of illegal immigrants with criminal convictions had been apprehended, including individuals with histories of violent crimes such as murder, rape, and child molestation, as well as involvement in drugs and weapons trafficking.

Owens highlighted specific instances where agents had arrested admitted violent cartels and gang members, underscoring the gravity of the situation at the border. "So far in FY24, Border Patrol has arrested 178 subjects with gang affiliations," he said.

Moreover, there are also concerns about a surge in illegal immigrants from China, citing data indicating a dramatic increase in apprehensions in the San Diego Sector alone. This influx of Chinese nationals, if unabated, could potentially break records for illegal immigration at the southern border, according to US Customs and Border Protection sources, Fox News reported.

Internet slams Trump over Hannibal Lecter remark

While Trump's speech resonated with his supporters, it also drew sharp criticism on social media, particularly for his comparison of migrants to Hannibal Lecter.

"Always the hate," one posted on X.

"According to DJT Hannibal Lecter clones apparently are being deposited in America," another wrote.

"Hannibal 3 soon on your screens, to be Directed and produced by Trump Family Trust & Saudi /Israel Wealth," someone else quipped.

"Oh, I guess this time, he didn’t add, 'some of them, I suppose, are good people,'" another joked, referring to Trump's past comments in the lead-up to the 2016 election. 

Another person fumed, "Every time I think this f**khead can't be more vile he proves me wrong. He hates America and all it stands for with every fiber of his being."

Trump boasts 'Black people' walking around with his mugshot 

In a separate event at the Black Conservative Foundation gala, Trump made controversial remarks regarding his legal troubles, suggesting that his indictments endeared him to Black voters who viewed him as a victim of discrimination.

“I got indicted for nothing. They were doing it because it’s election interference. And then I got indicted a second time, a third time, and a fourth time,” he said. “And a lot of people said that that’s why the Black people like me, because they have been hurt so badly and discriminated against. And they actually viewed me as I’m being discriminated against. It’s been pretty amazing.”

Trump boasted about his mugshot being embraced by Black individuals, referencing his arrest in Fulton County, Georgia, last summer in connection with charges related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

“The mug shot, we’ve all seen the mug shot, and you know who embraced it more than anybody else? The Black population,” he noted, adding, “It’s incredible. You see Black people walking around with my mug shot, you know?”

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