Whose Boat Is This Boat? Comments That Don't Help in the Aftermath of a Hurricane | Donald Trump

The book originated from a late-night television comedy bit on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert following Hurricane Florence in September 2018. While visiting New Bern, North Carolina, to inspect disaster damage, President Donald Trump focused extensively on a yacht that had been washed ashore into a resident's yard, making repeated remarks about the vessel. The writing staff of The Late Show compiled President Trump's exact verbatim comments from press transcripts into a children's picture book format, creating a stark, satirical juxtaposition between a major natural disaster and political commentary.

Designed in the visual style of a classic children’s storybook, the text pairs President Trump's unedited quotes about the stranded boat with playful, colorful cartoon illustrations. By treating authentic presidential press statements as a children's fable, the book uses satirical irony to critique political rhetoric, empathy, and crisis leadership during disaster response efforts.

All author royalties and proceeds received by The Late Show from the sale of Whose Boat Is This Boat? were donated directly to disaster relief organizations supporting victims of Hurricane Florence and other natural disasters, including the Foundation for the Carolinas and the One SC Fund. The book became a commercial success, raising millions of dollars for relief funds.

The publication was a runaway publishing phenomenon, quickly becoming an instant #1 New York Times Bestseller in the humor and non-fiction categories. Pre-orders and immediate consumer demand drove rapid print runs, establishing it as one of the fastest-selling political satire books of the late 2010s.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is an Emmy Award-winning late-night talk and news satire show broadcasting on CBS. Under the leadership of host Stephen Colbert, the show's writing team is renowned for its sharp political commentary, media analysis, and cultural satire, frequently translating viral television segments into high-impact public awareness and philanthropic initiatives.

All books, box sets, and multi-volume collections offered by Bust-Down Books are sold in pre-owned, used, and second-hand condition, unless explicitly designated as new in the individual product listing.

Condition Details & Grading:

• Previous Ownership: These items have been previously owned, handled, and read. As such, copies may exhibit typical signs of shelf wear, including but not limited to minor creasing, scuffing, edge wear, bent page corners, remainder marks, or spine softening. Hardcover editions may show minor dust jacket wear, edge chipping, or board rubbing.
• Markings & Personalization: Items may occasionally contain inscriptions, library stamps, owner names, marginalia, or highlighting. Individual item descriptions reflect significant deviations from standard acceptable condition.
• Supplemental Materials: Secondary and digital components—such as publisher access codes, CD-ROMs, bonus inserts, registration keys, or workbook activity pages—are not guaranteed to be included, active, or unredeemed unless specifically stated in the product description.

First Sale Doctrine & Non-Affiliation Statement:

All items sold on this platform are original, lawfully acquired copies being resold under the protection of the First Sale Doctrine (codified under U.S. copyright law, 17 U.S.C. § 109, and applicable international equivalents permitting the secondary resale of lawfully manufactured goods).

Bust-Down Books, LTD. is an independent, secondary-market bookseller. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, authorized by, or sponsored by the original authors, copyright holders, publishers, or trademark owners of the titles offered for sale. All registered trademarks, author names, book titles, and publisher imprints remain the sole property of their respective owners and are used strictly for nominative identification and descriptive purposes.