A boat owner lashed out at CNN journalist Elle Reeve during a MAGA boat parade in Panama City, Florida, after she questioned how he could afford the expensive hobby while expressing concerns about the economy. The interaction, which aired again over the weekend, highlighted the tension between personal wealth and public complaints about the state of the economy.
Reeve began by asking the man what his most pressing issue was. “The economy, getting the interest rates down, getting it to where we can afford to live in America,” the man replied. “Right now, it’s too expensive.” However, Reeve followed up with a probing question.
“Okay, now, let me maybe ask a slightly impolite question, but, you know, if you can afford a boat, you’re not hurting so bad, right? Because a boat costs a lot of money, and it’s a lot of upkeep.” The boat owner didn’t appreciate the comment and quickly fired back. “Listen, nobody gave me s—!” he shouted. “I’m a retired military, retired power plant, and I am successful and retired, with boats, jet skis, because I did it right.”
He went on to assert that his success was a result of hard work and that others had the same opportunity. “Everybody has that chance. Whether they choose or not, that’s up to them.” Reeve, trying to clarify her point, responded, “I would never try to take anything away from you in that way, but what I’m asking is, groceries are probably a smaller part of your budget than, say, you know, someone who’s, like, a little worse off. I think it’s interesting that people who are a little bit more comfortable are still so concerned about the economy.”
The man acknowledged the broader impact of the economy but maintained that interest rates needed to come down for everyone. “I want interest rates to go back down. I want all that, but that covers everybody in the economy. Not just me, not just the poor, not just the rich. It covers everybody.”
He also admitted that his children were “doing better” than him financially. In another interview during the event, another boater predicted a grim future, suggesting the possibility of a civil war regardless of the outcome of the next election. “I think we’ll be in the middle of a civil war either way, it doesn’t matter who wins,” he claimed. The exchange highlighted both economic concerns and a growing sense of political unrest among some Trump supporters.