For a fleeting moment, it appeared that Donald Trump, against all odds, might have undergone a transformation. Leading up to the crescendo of the Republican National Convention’s final night, speakers suggested that a near-fatal incident had profoundly reshaped the 45th president’s perspective and approach to the political arena. The narrative painted was one of unification emerging from adversity.
Tucker Carlson, the former prominent Fox News anchor, articulated this sentiment in his address just hours before Trump’s highly anticipated stage appearance. Carlson asserted, “He turned down the most obvious opportunity in politics to inflame the nation after being shot. In the moment, he did his best to bring the country together.”
Yet, as Trump delved deeper into his sprawling speech, a peculiar detour occurred: he began to speak about Hannibal Lecter.
“The press is always on me, because I say this,” Trump prefaced, as if anticipating skepticism. Acknowledging his prior mentions of the infamous cannibalistic character, he declared he couldn’t resist revisiting the topic. “Has anyone seen ‘Silence of the Lambs’? The late, great Hannibal Lecter. He’d love to have you for dinner.”
It’s undeniable that impactful films can foster a sense of shared experience. Trump’s well-documented fascination with popular culture was already a prominent feature of the RNC’s final evening, evidenced by the theatrical appearance of wrestling icon Hulk Hogan and a musical interlude by Kid Rock, culminating in Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White’s introduction of Trump. However, this invocation of Hannibal Lecter felt like another instance of Trump’s recurrent fascination with Anthony Hopkins’ chilling portrayal across the “Silence of the Lambs” film series. The former president, and current Republican frontrunner, had previously lauded Lecter as a “wonderful man” in May, even quoting Lecter’s macabre quip about “having a friend for dinner.”
On both occasions, Trump’s references to Lecter served a specific purpose: to underscore his narrative of escalating crime within America. He positions figures like Lecter – and, notably, links them to immigrants he vows to deport – as tangible threats lurking within society. There’s a certain childlike quality to this imaginative leap, were it not for the serious context. Trump has consistently struggled to distinguish between the realms of on-screen drama and reality. His career, in many ways, has been a performance aimed at the spotlight, fueled by his deep engagement with media and entertainment. In this framework, why wouldn’t Hannibal Lecter, in Trump’s mind, be just another potential menace poised to cross borders and unleash chaos?
Trump’s affinity for popular movies is arguably one of his more relatable traits. He demonstrably enjoys blockbuster entertainment. A 1997 profile in The New Yorker recounted an episode where Trump, aboard his private plane, exclusively watched the fight sequences from Jean-Claude Van Damme’s action film “Bloodsport.”
Therefore, it’s perhaps unsurprising that Trump’s recollection of “The Silence of the Lambs” centers on Hannibal Lecter’s sensational actions and quotable lines. It also clarifies why he might perceive Lecter as a fitting metaphor for real-world crime. Hannibal Lecter is, after all, the quintessential supervillain – possessing extraordinary cunning, inhuman appetites, and a distinctive eloquence. He embodies the perfect imagined adversary for a political figure who views himself as uniquely intelligent (rather than fortunate, considering his unexpected rise in the 2016 election cycle) and exceptionally articulate (as opposed to occasionally stumbling upon effective phrasing within lengthy speeches). In Lecter, Trump has found a villain whose exaggerated monstrosity mirrors his own inflated sense of heroism, his self-proclaimed ability to combat any adversary, whether real or fictional.
If Trump’s debates with President Biden seemed underwhelming – if they lacked a certain intensity – the imagined pursuit of Hannibal Lecter infiltrating the border offers a more dramatic, if unsettling, alternative. Perhaps those concerned about a potential Trump resurgence can find some solace in the fact that, for now, at least part of his focus is directed towards Hannibal Lecter, and that the metaphorical lambs haven’t yet ceased their cries.
