General Discussion

On 4 July 2013, before he took office, Donald Trump announced to the public a mix of disregard and seeming respect: “Sorry folks, I’m just not a fan of sharks – and don’t worry, they will be around long after we are gone.”

Two minutes later, he added: “Sharks are last on my list – other than perhaps the losers and haters of the World!”

On Friday, a long interview with an actor in pornographic films, Stephanie Clifford, provided more details of Trump’s apparent feelings.

Clifford, whose professional name is Stormy Daniels and who claimed in the interview to have had a 2006 affair with Trump, told InTouch magazine he was fascinated by the Discovery Channel’s annual Shark Week special.

“He is obsessed with sharks” she said. “Terrified of sharks. He was like, ‘I donate to all these charities and I would never donate to any charity that helps sharks. I hope all the sharks die.’ He was like riveted. He was like obsessed. It’s so strange, I know.”