Yawns and shock: Trump's odd mix of song recitals and cannibal praise - Times of India

Source: The Times of India
Author: Toi World Desk

NEW DELHI: Former US president Donald Trump surprised his supporters at a rally in New Jersey on Saturday by reciting the entire 1963 soul song "The Snake" and referring to a fictional cannibal as "great." During his speech, which lasted over 90 minutes, Trump used the Oscar Brown song to draw a comparison with "illegal immigration and how stupid it is what we're doing right now."

"We're letting people come into our country that we will only be trouble," he said.

Trump expressed his concern about allowing people into the country who he believes will only cause trouble. He recited the song, which tells the story of a tenderhearted woman who helps a half-frozen snake, only to be bitten by the snake instead of being thanked. Trump has used this song multiple times to highlight his anti-migrant stance, despite reported objections from Brown's family.

The crowd's reaction to the lengthy recitation was subdued, with some looking puzzled and others leaving the rally. Trump awkwardly remarked, "Did everybody enjoy it? Don't enjoy, you should be -- you should be scared!" speaking off-the-cuff after reading from a crib sheet in his jacket pocket.

Trump's rhetoric surrounding the migrant crisis has become increasingly violent, with him claiming just months ago that migrants were "poisoning the blood" of the United States, sparking a fierce backlash. Biden's campaign accused him of imitating Hitler's language, and during his first presidential campaign in 2016, Trump shocked observers with his language about "rapist" illegal migrants, reported AFP.

Trump also made a rambling reference to cannibalism, saying, "The late, great Hannibal Lecter is a wonderful man," referencing the 1991 film "Silence of the Lambs." He then grinned and rehashed a well-worn joke about the infamous cannibal character before returning to the topic of migration, stating, "But Hannibal Lecter. Congratulations, the late, great Hannibal Lecter. We have people that are being released into our country that we don't want in our country."

(With inputs from agencies)

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