JD Vance Quotes a Fictional ‘Psychopathic’ Serial Killer After Victory: "People Who Misled..."

In a bold social media move following his election as Vice President, Ohio Senator JD Vance shared a cryptic message with his followers, quoting none other than Anton Chigurh, the psychopathic killer from No Country for Old Men. The quote stands out for its chilling context—Chigurh’s line, uttered moments before a violent murder in Cormac McCarthy’s novel, highlights his view of life as a game of fate, with morals as expendable as his victims.

As per HuffPost, Vance’s post aimed to encourage a reexamination of assumptions, particularly for those who were confident Donald Trump would lose the election. His message suggested that if people’s ‘rules’ and assumptions about Trump had led them astray, then perhaps it was time for reevaluation. Vance wrote, “If you were confident that Donald J. Trump was going to lose, maybe you should question what else you "know" about him. Maybe the people who misled you about his electoral chances have misled you about other things. In the words of Cormac McCarthy, ‘If the rule you followed brought you to this, of what use was the rule?’”

The choice of Chigurh’s words raised eyebrows, as the character represents not wisdom but remorseless violence and an obsession with fate over morality. For Vance, who once harshly criticized Trump not only to become his running mate, the quote highlights his transformation from a skeptical outsider to a central figure in Trump’s camp.

However, this isn’t the first time a member of Trump’s team has invoked a fictional killer. Throughout his campaign, President-elect Trump frequently referred to Hannibal Lecter, the cannibalistic character from Silence of the Lambs, in jest, calling him the ‘late, great Hannibal Lecter.’ In a May rally, Trump said, “He’s a wonderful man. He oftentimes would have a friend for dinner. Remember the last scene?”

As per Mediaite, Trump even reminisced about Lecter’s infamously morbid dinner habits. He remarked, “They say, ‘Why would he mention Hannibal Lecter? He must be cognitively in trouble.’ No, no. These are real stories. Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lamb [sic]. He’s a lovely man. He wants to have you for dinner.” The references, though intended to be humorous, ignited discussions about why top political figures are quoting fictional killers at all.

Circling back to Vance, in No Country for Old Men, Chigurh sees himself as an agent of fate, carrying out murders based on his belief that victims’ choices seal their fate upon encountering him. Psychiatrists Samuel J. Leistedt and Paul Linkowski explained, “Anton Chigurh is a well-designed prototypical idiopathic/primary psychopath. We lack information concerning his childhood, but there are sufficient arguments and detailed information about his behavior in the film to obtain a diagnosis of active, primary, idiopathic psychopathy, incapacity for love, absence of shame or remorse…” They described Chigurh as one of the most realistic portrayals of psychopathy in cinema, citing his utter lack of empathy, cold calculation, and detachment from any concept of human warmth.