Published Jun 10, 2024

Donald Trump has been mocked online after going on a tirade against sharks and sinking boats during his recent campaign rally in Las Vegas.

During his speech in the key swing state of Nevada on Sunday, the former president posed a hypothetical scenario in which a boat with a large battery sinks while a shark was nearby.

"If the boat is sinking, water goes over the battery, the boat is sinking, do I stay on top of the boat and get electrocuted?" Trump said. "Or do I jump over by the shark and not get electrocuted?"

Author and frequent Trump critic Stephen King was one of those who criticized the former president for his remarks.

"This is like listening to your senile uncle at the dinner table after he has that third drink," King posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Writer Ian Fraser described the moment as a "bizarre rant."

Trump's rally in Las Vegas on Sunday was his first large-scale open air campaign event since he was convicted of 34 charges of falsifying business records in New York.

Trump has frequently discussed his dislike of electric vehicles, and previously used the electrocution or shark attack comparison during a campaign speech in the landlocked state of Iowa last October.

The Republican also said he posed the question on whether someone would get electrocuted if an electric boat sank during a speech in Michigan in September 2023.

The former president is also said to have a strong dislike of sharks, including telling a crowd of his supporters during a rally in Pennsylvania in August 2020: "I'm not a big fan of sharks. I have people calling me up, 'Sir, we have a fund to save the shark, it's called Save The Shark.'

"I say 'no thank you, I have other things I can contribute to."

What We Know

During his speech on Sunday, Trump described how he posed a question which "nobody's ever asked" before about whether it would be better to be electrocuted on a boat or eaten by a shark in the ocean.

"I say, what would happen if the boat sank from its weight, and you're in the boat, and you have this tremendously powerful battery, and the battery is now underwater. And there's a shark that's approximately 10 yards over there," Trump said.

"By the way, lot of shark attacks lately, I watched some guys justifying it today. 'Well, they weren't really that angry. They bit off the young lady's leg because of the fact that they were, they were not hungry, but they misunderstood who she was," Trump added. "He said 'there's no problem with sharks, they just didn't really understand a young woman's swimming. She really got decimated and other people too, a lot of shark attacks."

Returning back to his original point, Trump continues: "So I said, there's a shark 10 yards away from the boat, do I get electrocuted? If the boat is sinking, water goes over the battery, the boat is sinking, do I stay on top of the boat and get electrocuted? Or do I jump over by the shark and not get electrocuted?

"Because I will tell you he didn't know the answer. He said, 'you know, nobody's ever asked me that question.' I said I think it's a good question. I think there's a lot of electric current coming to that water. But you know what I'd do? If there was a shark or you get electrocuted, I'll take electrocution every single time. I'm not getting near the shark."

A number of social media users have now ridiculed Trump for his comments during Sunday's rally.

Harry Sisson, who is part of a Biden administration initiative to promote the president's 2024 campaign on social media, wrote: "WHAT?! Trump just ranted about sharks, boats, batteries, and water in an incoherent rant. Trump's brain is malfunctioning every day at this point. This is utter nonsense. Go ahead, try to make sense of any of this..."

Former NBC senior executive Mike Sington said: "People are standing outside in hundred degree heat in Las Vegas to hear Trump babble on and on about sharks and batteries. He doesn't talk about you, or what he's going to do for you, or your future.

"It's always about him, or meaningless nonsense. He's a complete waste of time."

Political scientist Norman Ornstein added: "I just hope he ends up in a prison where he can get the help he so desperately needs."

Trump's office has been contacted for comment via email.
What's Next

Trump has yet to confirm where his next 2024 campaign rally will be held.

The Republican National Convention, where Trump will be confirmed as the 2024 nominee, will take place in Milwaukee in July.

Update 6/10/24, 6:20 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.