Donald Trump, the presumed Republican nominee for president, has made a number of unusual comments and asides during his speeches and rallies, including claiming that he defeated Barack Obama in an election, calling Hamas “hummus”, and stating that wind turbines were killing whales in large numbers. A conspiracy theorist and Trump supporter suggested that “liberals” showed “faux outrage” over praising comments the former president made about Hannibal Lecter, a fictional cannibal from The Silence of the Lambs.
The claim made by conspiracy theorist Liz Crokin on social media was that Donald Trump had called the fictional character Hannibal Lecter “a wonderful man” at his rally. Crokin accused “normie liberals” and the media of outrage over Trump’s comments about the cannibal. She claimed that Trump was getting his enemies to condemn cannibalism by making these comments. However, Crokin has a history of making false claims, including promoting the “Pizzagate” conspiracy theory and accusing public figures of being “satanic pedophiles.”
In this case, Crokin’s claim about Trump’s comments was based on what he actually said at a rally in New Jersey. Trump did indeed refer to Hannibal Lecter as a “wonderful man” and congratulated the fictional character before segueing into a comment about immigration. This is not the first time Trump has mentioned Lecter during speeches, as he previously praised the character in a speech in Iowa, claiming that an actor who portrayed him had said he loved the former president, although none of the actors who have played Lecter have made such statements.
In conclusion, the fact check by Newsweek’s Fact Check team confirms that Donald Trump did call Hannibal Lecter a “wonderful man” at a rally in New Jersey on May 11, 2024. The former president also referred to the fictional character as “the late, great Hannibal Lecter” before discussing immigration. Trump’s comments about Lecter have sparked controversy and raised questions about the appropriateness of praising a fictional cannibal in a political speech.
