Horror novelist Stephen King has compared Donald Trump to a “senile uncle” after the former president delivered a rambling anecdote about electric boats and sharks at a Las Vegas rally. Taking to X, King said listening to Trump was like “listening to your senile uncle at the dinner table after he has that third drink.”
At the event in sweltering Nevada on Sunday, Trump complained about a malfunctioning teleprompter before launching into a bizarre story. He claimed unnamed Biden administration officials were forcing boat manufacturers to use electric batteries, recounting a supposed conversation with a South Carolina shipwright who said electric boats were too heavy to float or go fast.
Trump then posed a hypothetical question: if the boat sank and a shark was nearby, would he be electrocuted by the battery or get attacked by the shark? He said the boat builder had never been asked that question, adding that he would choose electrocution over the shark. Experts note his claim about electrocution is incorrect, and his “relationship” with MIT stems from his uncle, Professor John Trump, who taught there decades ago.
Late-night host Seth Meyers also mocked the segment, likening it to a school textbook problem and joking that the manufacturer’s response was unbelievable. This is not the first time Trump has expressed a fear of sharks; he has previously tweeted about disliking them and brought up similar scenarios at campaign events in 2020 and 2023.
