'Out of touch with reality': Internet slams Trump for invoking Hannibal Lecter in his tired-out rhetoric against migrants at NJ rally

Former President Donald Trump called the ‘late, great’ fictional cannibal, Hannibal Lecter, ‘a wonderful man’ at a rally in New Jersey
UPDATED MAY 12, 2024
Former President Donald Trump surprised his ever-ardent supporters when he praised a fictional cannibal as 'great' at a rally in New Jersey(Getty Images, MGM/YouTube)
Former President Donald Trump surprised his ever-ardent supporters when he praised a fictional cannibal as 'great' at a rally in New Jersey(Getty Images, MGM/YouTube)

WILDWOOD, NEW JERSEY: On Saturday’s New Jersey campaign rally, former President Donald Trump surprised his ever-ardent supporters when he recited an entire soul song from 1963 and praised a fictional cannibal as "great."

During his approximately ninety-minute address, Trump delivered his unique, rambling rendition of 'The Snake,' using the Oscar Brown song to draw a parallel between "illegal immigration and how stupid it is what we're doing right now."


 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Team Trump (@teamtrump)


 

“We’re letting people come into our country that we will only be trouble,” the 77-year-old MAGA strongman remarked.

What did Donald Trump say to his supporters attending the New Jersey rally?

The 2024 presumptive Republican presidential nominee has referenced the soul song on multiple occasions to emphasize his anti-migrant stance, which has reportedly prompted objections from the family of Oscar Brown, per the South China Morning Post.

Trump recited the song to those in attendance without singing it, saying, "A tenderhearted woman saw a poor, half-frozen snake."


 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Team Trump (@teamtrump)


 

“But instead of saying thanks, the snake gave her a vicious bite,” he read aloud.

Donald Trump has been employing increasingly aggressive language concerning the nation's migrant crisis.

However, during his speech over the weekend, the New Jersey audience appeared to be largely indifferent to his recitation of ‘The Snake.’


 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by President Donald J. Trump (@realdonaldtrump)


 

Despite the presence of thousands of attendees, some watched with confusion, while others left early. One man, captured on the big screen, even appeared bored, as evidenced by his yawning.

Following his recitation, Trump asked the attendees, “Did everybody enjoy it?”

“Don’t enjoy, you should be – you should be scared!” the ex-POTUS claimed.


 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by President Donald J. Trump (@realdonaldtrump)


 

A few months ago, the Republican presidential hopeful made disparaging statements regarding migrants "poisoning the blood" of the United States, which drew the ire of many Americans prompting his political opponent to respond.

The campaign team of President Joe Biden viewed the contentious remarks from Trump as an imitation of Hitler's language.

During his first presidential campaign leading up to the 2016 general election, Donald Trump's language regarding "rapist" illegal migrants was deemed appalling by many.


 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by President Donald J. Trump (@realdonaldtrump)


 

Additionally, Trump’s inconsequential comments on Saturday concerning cannibalism also garnered attention on social media.

Trump referred to the 1991 motion picture 'Silence of the Lambs' when he remarked, "The late, great Hannibal Lecter is a wonderful man."

A still from the movie 'The Silence of the Lambs (1991)'
A still from the movie 'The Silence of the Lambs' (1991) featuring Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter (Getty Images)

He smirked and repeated a worn-out joke about the notorious cannibal character, "He oftentimes would have a friend for dinner," before delving back into the topic of migration.

“But Hannibal Lecter. Congratulations, the late, great Hannibal Lecter. We have people that are being released into our country that we don’t want in our country,” the ex-Commander-in-Chief stated.

Internet skewers Trump for invoking Hannibal Lecter in his tired-out rhetoric against migrants

One X user remarked, "Totally out of touch with reality."



 

Another user quipped, "Trump thinks Hannibal Lecter is real."



 

Another user said, "Quite a segue here, from Hannibal Lecter to immigrants."



 

One user wrote, "The late great Hannibal Lecter??? It's a freaking movie !!"



 

Another X user asked, "I don't understand. Does he realize he is talking about a fictional character?"



 

Finally, this user tweeted, "He never doesn’t sound like someone who’s about to get cut off at a bar." [sic]



 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.

GET BREAKING U.S. NEWS & POLITICAL UPDATES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Glenn Greenwald slammed Elizabeth Warren for applauding Trump’s remarks on Iran at SOTU despite posting a ‘no war with Iran’ message
24 minutes ago
Mary Trump criticized Republican leaders on X, calling their praise of Trump’s SOTU a 'self-own' and sparking online debate
1 hour ago
Al Green protested after President Donald Trump’s account shared an AI video depicting Barack Obama and Michelle Obama as apes, sparking outrage
1 hour ago
Gavin Newsom said President Donald Trump will not step aside and will try to control any Republican succession battle
2 hours ago
Video from the chamber showed Republicans enthusiastically applauding, while some Democrats remained seated during portions of the recognition
2 hours ago
Trump’s 2026 State of the Union lasted 1 hour, 47 minutes, 40 seconds, setting a record for the longest congressional address
3 hours ago
Kamala Harris said about 40% of Americans lack birth certificates and argued that the SAVE Act would unfairly block eligible voters from registering
3 hours ago
Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the contrast was no longer about political ideology but about what she described as 'normal vs crazy'
3 hours ago
Minnesota Paid Family and Medical Leave Program Director Greg Norfleet, a Tim Walz appointee, confirmed there was documentation backing it up
3 hours ago
Thom Tillis also questioned the logic of assigning the same two individuals to handle multiple complex conflicts simultaneously
4 hours ago