Trump calls Hannibal Lecter ‘a wonderful man’ in rant against ‘insane’ migrants
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Donald Trump praised “the late great Hannibal Lecter” as a “wonderful man” at a rare campaign rally while complaining that the Biden administration was admitting migrants from insane asylums into the US.
During a 90-minute speech in front of an estimated 100,000 supporters in Wildwood, New Jersey – a record for a political rally in the state – the former president baffled his crowd by recalling the 1991 horror films.
“He oftentimes would have a friend for dinner,” he said.
“But Hannibal Lecter. Congratulations, the late great Hannibal Lecter. We have people who are being released into our country that we don’t want in our country, and they’re coming in totally unchecked, totally unvetted.”
Trump had previously been talking about pressure on the US border, saying other countries were bringing their “people from insane asylums and mental institutions” to the US under Joe Biden.
Tangents are not unusual in Mr Trump’s unscripted campaign speeches which, to the delight of his supporters, veer between political rhetoric, insults and conspiracy theories.
His campaign speech on Saturday night – one of the few he has been able to give while on trial – also included a reference to wind farms damaging whales, a claim that has been largely debunked.
But his main targets were “Fat Alvin” Bragg, the Manhattan District Attorney, and Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over his hush money case in New York.
“Fat Alvin, corrupt guy,” Mr Trump told the raucous throng and Judge Merchan was “highly conflicted”.
Neither Mr Bragg nor Mr Merchan are covered by the sweeping gag order – banning attacks on witnesses, court officials and their families – put in place by the judge, which has already seen Mr Trump fined $9,000 (£7,000) and warned further breaches could see him jailed.
Both men, Mr Trump said in a 90-minute speech sprinkled with obscenities, were doing Mr Biden’s bidding.
A frustrated Mr Trump has had to scale back his campaigning because of the case, which has left him anchored in Manhattan four days a week. He did not hold back telling supporters he had been indicted on “bull---t”.
The case, in which Mr Trump is accused of participating in a hush-money scheme to cover up alleged extramarital affairs, was a show trial, Mr Trump added.
“I’ve been indicted more than the great Alphonse Capone. Scarface. Al Capone was so mean that if you went to dinner with him and he didn’t like you, you’d be dead the next morning,” he said.
“I got indicted four times in a period of three seconds,” he added.
Michael Cohen, Mr Trump’s former fixer, is due to give evidence when the case resumes in Manhattan on Monday.
Mr Cohen is alleged to have orchestrated pay-offs to women who claimed to have had affairs with the former president, including $130,000 to former porn star Stormy Daniels who testified last week.
The former president, and Republican White House nominee, has denied the allegations of infidelity and pleaded not guilty to 34 charges of falsifying business records.
Mr Cohen was sentenced to three years in jail for assorted crimes including tax evasion, lying to Congress and campaign finance violations. He has since fallen out with Mr Trump, publishing books on his involvement.
Mr Cohen, who was allegedly reimbursed by Mr Trump for the payments, is seen as vital to the prosecution case. The defence will seek to undermine his credibility as a witness with an axe to grind.
