Why was Trump talking about sharks at a campaign event?

Trouble with his teleprompter forced former President Donald Trump to go off script on Sunday, leading to a rant about his active dislike for sharks during a campaign event in sweltering heat that sent six to the hospital in Nevada.

In a wide-ranging speech to 6,900 Silver State voters two days before the primary election, the presumptive Republican nominee announced a new plan to end taxes on tips. Trump criticized the company hired to help organize the event as he struggled with his teleprompter and brought up allegations he hasn't paid those who worked for him in the past, saying, "I don't pay contractors that do a s--- job."

While his teleprompter was down, Trump, who frequently rails against renewable energy, described meeting with a boat manufacturer in South Carolina. His concern that electric boats' weight could make them prone to sinking led him to several tangents, including one about sharks.

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"It must be because of M.I.T., my relationship with M.I.T., very smart. I say, 'What would happen if the boat sank from its weight and you're in the boat and you have this tremendously powerful battery, and the battery is now underwater, and there's a shark that's approximately 10 yards over there?" Trump said. "By the way, lot of shark attacks lately. Did you notice that?"

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He described asking the boat manufacturer if, in the hypothetical scenario, he should get electrocuted or jump near the shark.

"I'll take electrocution every single time," Trump said. "I'm not getting near the shark."

The former president's fear of sharks is well documented, and he went on a similar rant about them at a campaign stop in Iowa in October 2023.

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Trump's comments on Sunday went viral, leading to widespread online ridicule and raising questions about his fitness for the Oval Office.

Rachel Barber is a 2024 election fellow at USA TODAY, focusing on politics and education. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, as @rachelbarber_