Donald Trump Boasts About Having the Power to Do Anything He Wants — Then Signs Executive Order He Admittedly Knows Nothing About
President Donald Trump attracted attention during a White House event after making several unscripted comments about the power of the presidency while speaking to hunters, anglers and outdoor-industry leaders.
The event took place in the Rose Garden on Thursday, September 17, as Trump promoted new executive actions aimed at expanding hunting and fishing opportunities across the United States. The White House confirmed that Trump signed an executive order designed to expand access to public lands and waterways, support hunting programmes and permit traditional lead ammunition and fishing tackle in certain circumstances.
While discussing the changes, Trump turned his attention to Johnny Morris, the billionaire founder of Bass Pro Shops, who was attending the event. Trump suggested that the new policies could be good news for businesses selling fishing equipment.
He told Morris that the changes could mean more fishing rods being sold. However, Trump then joked about how much power he has as president, suggesting that he could have taken a very different approach.
Trump said he could have banned fishing and potentially damaged Morris’s business. He described the power of the presidency as “crazy” and joked that he might issue an order banning fishing for a short period. Contemporary reports of the event also described the remarks as jokes made while Trump was discussing his administration’s fishing policies.
The comments quickly attracted criticism online. Some social-media users interpreted Trump’s remarks as an example of a president appearing to enjoy talking about the enormous authority available to his office. Others argued that joking about using presidential power to damage an American business was inappropriate. These were reactions from individual social-media users rather than findings about Trump’s intentions.
Another moment during the speech also received attention. While reading from prepared remarks about traditional lead ammunition, Trump stopped and indicated that he was unfamiliar with part of what he was reading.
Trump said he had not realised the issue was a problem and asked those around him to explain it. He later questioned whether lead ammunition was considered better than alternatives before saying that people attending the event wanted the policy and that he supported them.
Independent reporting from the event similarly recorded Trump saying that he did not fully understand what the reference to lead ammunition meant while discussing the order.
The executive order itself goes beyond ammunition. It directs federal departments and agencies to consider changes intended to increase access to federal lands for hunting, fishing and other outdoor recreation. It also calls for improved access to difficult-to-reach federal lands, support for hunting opportunities for young people and veterans, and measures encouraging states to expand Sunday hunting.
Trump also signed a separate executive order dealing with recreational saltwater fishing. According to the White House, that measure is intended to change federal fisheries management and increase opportunities for recreational fishing and related industries.
The controversy surrounding Trump’s remarks therefore came during an event focused on significant changes to federal hunting and fishing policy. Supporters of the measures have welcomed efforts to increase access for hunters and anglers, while environmental concerns remain around policies involving lead ammunition and tackle.
What gained much of the public attention, however, was Trump’s own description of presidential power and his acknowledgement during the speech that he needed more information about one part of the policy he was promoting.
