At a Rose Garden dinner, President Trump joked that he had the power to ban fishing even as he signed executive orders meant to expand hunting and fishing opportunities and unwind certain Biden-era restrictions. Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops, attended and was singled out in Trump's remarks about sales of fishing rods. Trump also highlighted White House renovations, including a black-and-white granite helipad on the South Lawn that he said cost roughly $5–6 million and was paid for by Sikorsky Aircraft.
Trump Says He Could 'Ban Fishing' While Signing Orders To Expand Hunting And Fishing
Donald Trump told guests at a Rose Garden dinner for outdoor enthusiasts and industry executives that he is so powerful as president that he could ban them from fishing (Getty Images)
At a Rose Garden dinner for outdoor industry leaders on Thursday evening, President Donald Trump joked that he was powerful enough as president to ban fishing even as he signed executive orders intended to expand hunting and fishing opportunities and roll back certain Biden-era restrictions.
Event Highlights
Among those attending was Johnny Morris, the billionaire founder of Bass Pro Shops, whom Trump singled out when describing the economic benefits of his actions. Trump said the new orders would lengthen fishing seasons and boost businesses that depend on angling.
"That means you can sell a lot of fishing rods, Johnny. You're going to sell a lot of rods. I could have made it so you couldn't sell. You couldn't sell anything. I could have banned fishing," the president quipped.
He continued, boasting about presidential power: "I'll tell you what. The power of this office is crazy. I could have banned fishing and driven Johnny right the hell out of business. Okay. I think I'm going to do that. Just maybe just a quick order, just for a day or two, till he calls me and he says, 'Please, President, please, you're putting me out of business, sir.'"
Trump also framed his support for hunters and anglers in historical terms, saying America's outdoorsmen "have not had a better friend in the Oval Office for many, many years," and comparing his record favorably to that of President Theodore Roosevelt.
Trump made the quip during the Thursday evening event at the White House, where he signed executive orders aimed at expanding hunting and fishing opportunities and reversing certain Biden-era restrictions (Getty Images)
White House Renovations
The president used the gathering to highlight recent work around the White House, saying the exterior had been in poor condition and describing changes intended to give parts of the grounds a Mar-a-Lago–style appearance. He pointed to a newly constructed black-and-white granite helipad on the South Lawn, saying the six-inch-thick granite had been carved with an eagle and was designed to accommodate helicopter landings.
"What they've been able to do with stone, with granite, six inches thick, carved with a beautiful eagle. It's a helipad where the helicopters can land. Never had that before," Trump said, adding that new presidential helicopters were strong enough to damage the grass and that a helipad solved that problem.
In July, Trump told reporters that Sikorsky Aircraft, a unit of Lockheed Martin, had agreed to pay for the helipad, saying the cost was "about $5 or $6 million." The president said the company felt "a little guilty" for not warning about the helicopters' power when they were delivered for use as Marine One.
All quotes and details above reflect remarks made by the president at the Rose Garden event and prior comments to reporters in July.
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