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