Trump has drawn on the song several times to highlight his anti-migrant stance, reportedly drawing objections from Brown’s family.
“A tenderhearted woman saw a poor, half-frozen snake,” Trump said, reciting – but not singing – the song to the crowd.
“But instead of saying thanks, the snake gave her a vicious bite,” he said.
At the same time, the lengthy recitation of The Snake drew a subdued reaction from the crowd of thousands gathered on a beach in Wildwood on the New Jersey shore.
Some looked on quizzically, while a man behind Trump shown on a big screen yawned, and a trickle of spectators made for the exits.
Did everybody enjoy it? Don’t enjoy, you should be – you should be scared!
“Did everybody enjoy it? Don’t enjoy, you should be – you should be scared!” he said awkwardly, speaking off-the-cuff following his recitation from a crib sheet he had in his jacket pocket.
Biden’s campaign accused him of imitating the language of Hitler.
A rambling bit on cannibalism also drew attention on social media.
“The late, great Hannibal Lecter is a wonderful man,” Trump said, referencing the 1991 film Silence of the Lambs.
“He oftentimes would have a friend for dinner,” he said grinning, rehashing a well-worn joke about the infamous cannibal character before diving back into migration.
“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.”