During a recent campaign speech in Wildwood, New Jersey, former President Donald Trump stirred controversy by praising the fictional character Hannibal Lecter, known as a cannibalistic serial killer from the movie "The Silence of the Lambs."
According to Die Presse, Trump's remarks, which came in the context of criticizing current U.S. immigration policies under President Joe Biden, suggested that other countries are sending people from psychiatric facilities to the U.S.
"The late, great Hannibal Lecter is a wonderful man," Trump declared, after querying the crowd of about 100,000 supporters if they had seen the film.
He used this unusual praise to underscore his point about the types of individuals he claims are entering the U.S. under Biden's administration.
"Happy birthday, the late, great Hannibal Lecter. We have people in our country that we don't want. They come in completely uncontrolled and completely unchecked,” he added.
In the same speech, Trump also likened himself to Alphonse "Al" Capone, claiming he had been indicted more often than the infamous gangster.
Trump is currently facing four criminal proceedings, including a high-profile hush money trial in New York. He dismissed the charges against him as "bullshit," which elicited cheers from his audience.
This is not the first time Trump has referenced Hannibal Lecter in relation to illegal migration.
In a previous interview in March, he made a similar comparison, emphasizing his view on the origin of illegal immigrants: “They come from prisons, asylums, and psychiatric facilities...like that Silence of the Lambs stuff."
