Former President Bill Clinton repeatedly tore into former President Donald Trump during his speech at the Democratic National Convention Wednesday, casting him as a narcissist, criticizing him for cozying up to the leaders of North Korea and Russia, and ridiculing his head-scratching references to fictional serial killer Hannibal Lecter.
Former President Bill Clinton speaks during the Democratic National Convention Wednesday, Aug. 21, ... [+]
Clinton questioned what other world leaders are supposed to think of “these endless tributes to the late, great Hannibal Lecter,” adding “I don’t know what to say.”
Trump has repeatedly brought up the cannibalistic character from “The Silence of the Lambs” when discussing immigration—during his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention last month he said Lecter would “love to have you for dinner, that’s insane asylums, they’re emptying out their insane asylums,” repeating a false claim about immigrants.
The former president mocked Trump for his age toward the beginning of the speech, cracking: “The only personal vanity I want to assert is that I’m still younger than Donald Trump” (Trump and Clinton are both 78, but Clinton is about two months younger).
Clinton also chided Trump for claiming during the first debate that Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean President Kim Jong Un respected the U.S. more when he was president, telling the crowd he “almost croaked” when he heard the line, sarcastically telling the crowd Trump couldn’t have been serious: “he’s a good actor,” Clinton said, drawing laughter from the crowd.
Accusing Trump of being egocentric, Clinton said “the next time you hear him, don’t count the lies, count the I’s.’”
Clinton began his speech—as many of this week’s speakers have—by praising President Joe Biden for stepping aside in the race, comparing him to George Washington. “I want to thank him for his courage, his compassion, his class, his service, his sacrifice,” Clinton said as the crowd erupted in chants of “Thank you Joe.”
Clinton took the stage ahead of Wednesday’s keynote address from Democratic vice presidential candidate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Clinton’s wife, former First Lady and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, spoke the previous night, as did former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama.
Clinton also noted that since the end of the Cold War in 1989, the U.S. has added about 51 million new jobs—1 million under Republican presidents and the rest under Democrats. The figure is correct according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, though the pandemic largely contributed to an increase in jobs under Biden and job loss under Trump.
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