‘Perfect Metaphor’: #Dumbkirk Trends After Multiple Boats Sink at Trump Boat Parade in Austin

Sarah RumpfSep 5th, 2020, 9:33 pm
 
trump boat parade

Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images

Trump fans have been organizing “Trump Boat Parades” around the country to rally supporters of President Donald Trump, but one such event held on Saturday in Austin, Texas seems most likely to be remembered for the less-than-flattering memes and mocking it inspired after multiple boats ended up in distress and at least four of them sank.

First off, the good news: there have been no reported injuries, except maybe a few bruised egos.

The trouble began as hundreds of boats gathered on Lake Travis, a man-made reservoir lake that follows the twists and turns of the Colorado River just northwest of Austin. The lake is known for being difficult to navigate at times, a problem more likely to occur when it gets crowded with boats during holiday weekends and other high-traffic occasions.

On Saturday the wake got increasingly choppy through several areas, especially as larger boats were crowding together and smaller boats began to struggle, making distress calls starting shortly after noon local time. Multiple boats took on excess water, some capsized, and at least four completely sank.

The Travis County Sheriff’s Office “responded to multiple calls involving boats in distress,” and Texas Parks and Wildlife also assisted with rescue efforts.

Unsurprisingly, Twitter pounced on the news, with many calling it a “perfect metaphor,” and terms like “#Dumbkirk,” “boater fraud,” and “boater suppression” trending.

Someone even created a parody “Lake Travis Antifa” account.

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Sarah Rumpf - Contributing Editor

Sarah Rumpf joined Mediaite in 2020 and is a Contributing Editor focusing on politics, law, and the media. A native Floridian, Sarah attended the University of Florida, graduating with a double major in Political Science and German, and earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the UF College of Law. Sarah's writing has been featured at National Review, The Daily Beast, Reason, Law & Crime, Independent Journal Review, Texas Monthly, The Capitolist, Breitbart Texas, Townhall, RedState, The Orlando Sentinel, and the Austin-American Statesman, and her political commentary has led to appearances on television, radio, and podcast programs across the globe. Follow Sarah on Bluesky and Threads.