Later, in Cedar Rapids, going off-script after describing migrants as "vicious," Trump recalled, "I said, that's Silence of the Lamb [sic]. You know what that is? Has anybody seen Silence of the Lambs? Hannibal Lecter, how great an actor was he? You know why I like him? Because he said on television, or one of the — ‘I love Donald Trump.; So I love him, I love him." Trump went on to joke that even if he were the "worst" actor, "I'd say he was great to me."
Anthony Hopkins, who won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the performance Trump described, had neither endorsed nor professed his love for the former president. It's possible, as some have speculated, that Trump had confused Hopkins with Jon Voight — a conservative actor close in age, with a passing resemblance — who vocally backed Trump's 2016 run and said in a red carpet interview days after the Republican's stunning upset victory, "I worked very hard for him. I love Donald Trump."
But, since Trump appeared to recall neither man's name, he wound up with a sound bite that suggested he thought Hannibal Lecter was the name of the actor in the film, and a fan of his.
More...