Trump Warns Billionaire He Can 'Drive Him Out of Business' and Brags Over His 'Power' in Bizarre Rant at the Rose Garden
Donald Trump had a clear message for the owner of Pro Bass Shops, Johnny Morris.
Sept. 18 2026, Published 4:20 p.m. ET
Donald Trump has warned a billionaire he has all the power in the world to drive him out of business, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
On Thursday, September 17, the president spoke at the Rose Garden to mark his signing of an executive order reversing Biden-era restrictions to "modernize federal fisheries."
Trump Goes Unhinged at the Rose Garden
Trump appear to threaten a billionaire's business during a speech at the Rose Garden.
The order will also "eliminate unnecessary restrictions" on hunters and anglers. According to Semafor, guests were served bison for dinner. Attendees, who included people from the hunting, fishing, and outdoorsmen industries, were forced to listen to Trump give a bizarre rant.
At one point, the 80-year-old said he got "99 percent of your vote, and why wouldn't I?" and added about his rival Kamala Harris, "You gonna vote for Kamala? I don't think so."
Trump then set his sights on the 78-year-old owner of Bass Pro Shops, Johnny Morris, who is reportedly worth about $8billion. After calling him a "great businessman," the president explained his executive order has expanded fishing seasons and quotas.
"That means you can sell a lot of fishing rods, Johnny," Trump said. You're going to sell a lot of rods." However, Trump then appeared to toss out a threat.
Trump Appears to Threaten Billionaire's Business
Trump warned Pro Bass Shops owner Johnny Morris (R) he could put him out of business.
"I could have made it so you couldn't sell... You couldn't sell anything," Trump gloated while laughing. "I could have banned fishing... I'll tell you what, the power of this office is crazy. I could have banned fishing and driven Johnny right the h--- out of business, OK."
The politician was not done there, as he told Morris, "I think I'm gonna do that, maybe just a quick one, just for a day or two, until he calls me and says, 'Please, President, please, you're putting me out of business, Sir.'"
Critics were quick to call out the strange comments, as one person suggested, "He's mad with power. Under our Constitutional government, abuse of power is one of the biggest crimes. Democrats, Trump needs to be removed from office ASAP..."
Another added, "This is what an insane megalomaniac sounds like," and a user said, "This is why all of those super rich CEOs and fancy law firms and other organizations have bent down to kiss his ring, because he wields power as if he's a king with no boundaries..."
Does Trump Need to Take It Easy?
'He's mad with power,' one critic suggested of Trump.
Morris once contributed $200,000 to Trump's 2020 campaign, according to Forbes. He also reportedly gave another $200,000 to the Trump-aligned super PAC Turnout for America in 2024.
Meanwhile, Trump has not slowed down. He's made speeches and has appeared in public several times recently, despite pleas from his longtime pal, Bill O'Reilly, to take it easy
On September 14, the former Fox News personality was asked by Newsmax anchor Rob Finnerty why he previously begged Trump to take the month of August off.
"Well, he’s 80... Come on. There's not a person I know that works harder than Donald Trump works," O'Reilly said in response. "I think he’s the hardest-working president. (Abraham) Lincoln might be in there because he had to deal with the Civil War, of course, but the guy is just a work machine, and it wears you down."
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'Take a Nap!'
The president has been urged to slow down and take it easy amid his work schedule and public apperances.
He added, "He's got to give himself a break because there's a lot of complicated stuff he's dealing with now." O'Reilly then pointed out that Trump was busted falling asleep in public recently.
"He fell asleep. I, you know, look, everybody has to live their lives," he said. "But he fell asleep in a Pentagon 9/11 service just for a fraction. And you and I have done this, I'm sure, you know, kind of just dozed off. And, you know, that shows you that there is only so much you can push your body. There's only so much."
O'Reilly begged the oldest president ever elected, "Take a nap. You know, have a Big Mac, whatever you want to do. But give yourself a break."
