Debuts bizarre 'electrocution vs. shark attack' hypothetical at Ottumwa rally
At a rally in Ottumwa, Iowa, Trump debuted what would become one of his most bizarre recurring rants: a hypothetical about dying by electrocution from an electric boat battery versus being eaten by a shark. He claimed a South Carolina boat manufacturer had told him electric boats were too heavy and might sink, prompting Trump to pose 'a very smart question' about electrocution. 'If I'm sitting down and that boat's going down and I'm on top of a battery, and the water starts flooding in, I'm getting concerned. But then I look 10 yards to my left and there's a shark over there. So I have a choice of electrocution or a shark—you know what I'm going to take? Electrocution. I will take electrocution every single time.' The story was false on multiple levels: there is no federal mandate for electric boats, boat batteries don't work the way Trump described, and the manufacturer he cited 'probably doesn't exist.' But Trump would repeat this tale obsessively for the next year.
“So I have a choice of electrocution or a shark—you know what I'm going to take? Electrocution. I will take electrocution every single time. I'm not getting near the shark.” — Rally in Ottumwa, Iowa, October 1, 2023
Analysis Feed
AI commentaryThis was the debut of Trump's electric boat/shark saga. The Washington Post documented that he repeated this story at least a dozen times over the following year. The tale combined his genuine shark phobia (confirmed by Stormy Daniels and his own 2020 rally comments) with his hostility to electric vehicles. Experts noted the entire premise was false: electric boats don't sink from battery weight, passengers wouldn't be electrocuted if they did, and no policy mandates electric boats. The story served as anti-EV propaganda wrapped in absurdist theater.
Origin event for the 'Shark vs. Electrocution' pattern. Trump would repeat this story verbatim dozens of times, with the June 2024 Las Vegas version going viral. The tale shows how Trump's personal phobias (sharks) combine with policy grievances (anti-EV) into incoherent but memorable rants.