Martina Navratilova drops 1-word reaction to $6,700,000,000-worth Donald Trump's 'Silence of the Lambs' speech

Martina Navratilova, the 18-time major title winner, has again weighed in on comments made by new US president Donald Trump. Not for the first time, Trump referenced Jonathan Demme's Silence of the Lambs movie during his Washington MAGA victory rally speech, followed by uproarious cheers from his ever-faithful supporters.

Navratilova was un-impressed and took to social media to make her feelings known. Trump (who has a net worth of $6.7 Billion as per Forbes) has oftentimes brought up Demme's horror movie to make what appears to be a point about the heinous nature of criminals he insists are pouring into the US. Interestingly Hannibal Lecter, the movie's principal and fictional culprit, moved to the US as an orphaned child.

During the MAGA speech, Trump waffled:

"I used to mention (Silence of the Lambs) and the press would always excoriate me. I'd say the late, great Hannibal Lecter came into our country today - Silence of the Lambs, right? Did anybody see that movie? Lovely movie..."

Martina Navratilova's one-word response on Twitter dealt not necessarily with Trump's misunderstanding of Lecter's place in the narrative, but more with his description of the film as a "lovely movie". Silence of the Lambs is an extremely violent film, dealing with complex issues of cannibalism and sexual abuse, and hardly merits Trump's summation.

"Jesus," Navratilova wrote on X, responding to a video of Trump's speech.

Martina Navratilova's remark was well received by her followers. There were, however, comments in support of Trump, suggesting that she's taken his words out of context.

Martina Navratilova's remarks generate both supportive and critical comments

Martina Navratilova on Day Ten: The Championships - Wimbledon 2024 - Source: Getty

Trump's supporters have often leaped to the president's defense when he's used the film reference, suggesting that he's merely joking. Trump often prefaces his Lecter remarks by saying "He’s a lovely man. He’d love to have you for dinner.” This is evidently designed as a double-entendre playing upon Lecter's cannibalism, though its humor can be lost in the context of Trump's general hyperbole.

“They’re coming from everywhere. They’re coming from all over the world, from prisons and jails, and mental institutions and insane asylums. You know, they go crazy when I say, ‘The late great Hannibal Lecter,’ OK? They say, ‘Why would he mention Hannibal Lecter? He must be cognitively in trouble.’ No no no, these are real stories. Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lamb [sic]. He’s a lovely man. He’d love to have you for dinner,” he said during the rally [via The Guardian].

Martina Navratilova's intervention drew a variety of responses from X (formerly Twitter) followers. Many were predictably supportive, but in a highly polarised US political scene, she also has her detractors:

"See the full video, taken out of context," wrote one user.

"That was a joke, if you can't see that you guys are in for a long four years," commented another person.

"So the inauguration dinner willl be fava beans and a nice chianti?," jibed another.

"It's lovely? If you're a serial murderer maybe," someone commented.

Comments on Martina Navratilova's reaction to Trump's MAGA speech - Source: via @Martina on X

Here's a look at some of the other comments:

"Freak," said a user.

"Us - what the hell have you done?," mentioned another.

"He's a dope," wrote a user.

"Yeah, we're back alright! The US is now officially back to being the laughing stock of the world," exclaimed another.

The Czech tennis ace has long been a Trump critic, and often calls him out on X (formerly Twitter) and other social media outlets. She's considered a prominent liberal figure in the US, particularly with her views on transgender athletes and gay rights generally.