Trump mocked online for 'one rough hour' crime strategy: 'Literally proposing The Purge, lmao'

At a Pennsylvania Rally, Trump's proposal of 'one rough hour' to fight crime echoes themes from 'The Purge' movie.

Donald Trump has sparked a wave of online mockery and concern with his latest crime-fighting proposal, made at a Pennsylvania rally.

The former president suggested that a solution to reduce crime could involve allowing police to have "one rough hour" of less restrained action.

"One rough hour and I mean real rough, the word will get out and it will end immediately," Trump stated, prompting immediate comparisons to the dystopian horror movie, "The Purge."

The premise of "The Purge" involves a government-sanctioned 12-hour period where all crimes, including murder, are legal—an idea eerily reminiscent of Trump's statement.

This connection was not lost on social media, where one user on X cited the movie's synopsis to highlight the similarities: “In an America ravaged by crime and overcrowded prisons, the government sanctions an annual 12-hour period during which all criminal activity – including murder – is legal.”

Responses on platforms like X ranged from amusement to disbelief. "Trump is literally proposing The Purge lmao," one user quipped, while another added, “The way he watched The Purge and sat there like you know what… we should try this.”

The Purge. Trump just described The Purge. https://t.co/rKAhXZsVK0

— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) September 29, 2024

The Lincoln Project, a political action committee, also chimed in, reinforcing the comparison by stating, "He’s just describing the premise of The Purge."

The irony deepened with recollections that "The Purge: Election Year," a sequel in the franchise, was released in the same year Trump was first elected—2016.

Furthermore, the sequel's slogan, "Keep America Great," was later adopted by Trump for his 2020 re-election campaign, leading to more online commentary.

"The Purge: Election Year came out in 2016. Trump stole its motto in 2020 and its plot in 2024," observed a social media commentator, intertwining Trump's political and rhetorical strategies with elements of the film.