President Donald Trump paused during a White House Rose Garden dinner on 17 September after reaching a section of his prepared remarks about traditional lead ammunition, telling guests, 'I don't know what the he-- that means.' The moment came shortly after he signed two executive orders on hunting access and saltwater recreation.
The first measure, Executive Order 14429, Reinvigorating America's Hunting Heritage, directs several federal departments to pursue changes intended to expand hunting and other recreational access on federal lands. It also instructs four departments to propose policy or regulatory changes that would permit traditional lead ammunition and tackle on covered lands, consistent with existing law.
The order does not immediately create a blanket right to use lead ammunition across all federal lands. The secretaries of War, Interior, Agriculture and Commerce have 180 days to propose relevant changes, while national parks and most national monuments are excluded from that part of the directive.
Donald Trump Questions Lead Ammunition Provision
Trump was describing the hunting order to hunters, anglers and outdoor recreation figures when he reached the language concerning lead ammunition.
Addressing Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Trump said he had not previously known the issue was a problem and asked Burgum to explain it. He then questioned whether lead ammunition had faced restrictions and whether it was preferable to alternatives.
Trump paused before saying, 'I don't know what the he-- that means.' He nevertheless told the audience that they had wanted the provision and said he was there to support them. He then resumed his prepared remarks and expressed approval of the language concerning traditional lead ammunition.
The executive order itself is narrower than Trump's description during the speech. It requires the four departments to propose, within 180 days and consistent with applicable law, modifications that would permit traditional lead ammunition and tackle on lands under their jurisdictions, subject to specified exceptions. The order also calls for expanded recreational access, improvements to access infrastructure and measures relating to wildlife management.
Federal policy on lead ammunition and fishing tackle has been contested for years. In 2022 and 2023, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service adopted non-lead ammunition or tackle requirements for nine national wildlife refuges that were scheduled to take effect on 1 September 2026. A final rule issued before implementation rescinded those requirements.
Donald Trump Jokes About Fishing Ban and Executive Power
Trump later shifted to Executive Order 14430, Restoring American Saltwater Angling and Recreation. The order directs federal agencies to begin action, where consistent with applicable law, to suspend, revise or rescind regulations they determine overly burden boaters, anglers and outdoor businesses. It also sets out measures covering fisheries data, permits and recreational fishing management.
Speaking to Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris, Trump joked that he could have used presidential power to ban fishing and briefly suggested imposing such a measure until Morris asked him to reverse it. Trump announced no fishing ban, and the executive order he signed instead seeks to reduce restrictions affecting recreational fishing.
Trump also repeated an anecdote from his campaign about electric boats, saying he had questioned a boat-company owner in South Carolina about what would happen if an electric vessel began sinking.
In Trump's hypothetical, he described choosing between remaining aboard and risking electrocution or entering nearby water where sharks were swimming. He said, 'I'll take the electrocution.'
The Rose Garden event was used to promote both executive orders to hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation groups. The hunting order establishes deadlines for agency action on access, wildlife management and related policies, while the saltwater order directs agencies to review regulations and modernise parts of federal fisheries management.
Trump's exchange over lead ammunition stood out because he openly acknowledged unfamiliarity with the issue while discussing an order he had just signed. After questioning Burgum about the provision, he returned to his prepared remarks and expressed support for it.
