Trump Reminisces About the ‘Great Hannibal Lecter’ as Being ‘A Very Important Force’ 

President Donald Trump offered a new spin on one of his classic rally lines about fictional serial killer Hannibal Lecter on Tuesday night.

On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly referenced the cannibalistic psychopath played by Anthony Hopkins in the 1991 classic, Silence of the Lambs – usually in the context of immigration. Trump has claimed that other countries are sending criminals and people in “asylums” to the U.S. to wreak havoc on the country, but there is no evidence for this charge.

Speaking at the annual National Republican Congressional Committee dinner on Tuesday night, Trump played his greatest hits while justifying the massive tariffs that will take effect on Wednesday. In his speech, he declared he is waging “war on the world” before immediately walking back the comment. Also during his remarks, Trump served up an old friend for dinner:

They used to go crazy when I talked about when I talk about Hannibal Lecter. The late, great Hannibal Lecter. Right? Silence of the Lambs. The fake news would say, “Why does he talk about that? He’s a fictional character.” He’s not. We have many of them that came across the border. He’s actually not. But when the people went to the voting booth, then we understood why he talked about that because they voted for us. They say, “We don’t want Hannibal Lecter in our country.”

The great Hannibal Lecter. He was uh, he was a very important force. But the press would go absolutely crazy if I mentioned Hannibal Lecter’s name because they say he’s a fictional character. No, but it was making the point and the point is they’re emptying mental institutions and insane asylums. Not anymore they’re not.

During a rally in North Carolina in July, Trump explained, “These are real stories. Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lamb [sic]. He’s a lovely man. He wants to have you for dinner. He’d like to have you for dinner.”

Watch above via C-SPAN.