Recent revelations of President Donald Trump’s hatred toward sharks has led to an increase in charitable donations to organizations across the country dedicated to the conservation and protection of the apex predators.
In an interview with with pornstar Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, In Touch Magazine—originally conducted in 2011 but was only published this week— it was revealed that Trump obsessively watched Shark Week in his hotel room for hours at a time during one of her visits.
The adult actress, best known for her roles in “Banging Busty Blondes” and “Saturday Night Beaver,” admitted to having an affair with Trump in 2006 while he was married to his third wife, Melania. She also revealed that despite his infatuation with watching sharks on television, he was no fan of the creatures in real life.
“I donate to all these charities and I would never donate to any charity that helps sharks. I hope all the sharks die,” Trump is reported to have told Daniels, echoing a sentiment he has stated on Twitter on several occasions.
This statement has led to an increase in support for sharks across the country. An anonymous donor even adopted a shark in President Trump’s name. According to the executive director of the Shark Research Institute, a 13-foot female great white named Lola was adopted in Trump’s name through their shark sponsorship program. Through the program, shark lovers are able to “adopt” a shark that has been tagged off the coast of California through the SRI tracking program.
“If someone attacks elephants, a prominent person, there’s going to be a surge in people who like elephants making donations to protect the elephants. Same thing with sharks, same things with birds or anything else,” executive director of the Shark Research Institute Marie Levine told Newsweek . “It’s kind of a normal reaction for concerned citizens.”
The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, the WildAid program Shark Savers, and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society have also reported increases in donations from first-time donors in Trump’s name.
“Anything that focuses attention on the plight of sharks worldwide is valuable, so I guess in that way the president did good service,” Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson said.
“Sorry folks, I’m just not a fan of sharks—and don’t worry, they will be around long after we are gone,” Trump tweeted in 2013. “Sharks are last on my list – other than perhaps the losers and haters of the World!”
Sorry folks, I’m just not a fan of sharks – and don’t worry, they will be around long after we are gone.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 4, 2013
This isn’t the first time that Trump has drawn ire from shark conservationists.
During his tour of Asia in November, President Donald Trump dined on shark fin soup at an official state dinner in Hanoi, Vietnam. Shark fin soup, which is sometimes served during wedding banquets, is believed to enhance sexual virility and cure impotence although no scientific evidence has been found to support this claim.
