Trump's guide to outrunning alligator gets fact-check — he wouldn't make it far

Associated Press White House reporter Chris Megerian was quick to fact-check President Donald Trump after he issued instructions Tuesday on how to escape alligators.

Trump was speaking before heading to the Florida Everglades Tuesday morning to tour an immigrant detention facility built in the hostile swamps about an hour west of Miami.

Known colloquially as "Alligator Alcatraz," the facility is in an area of the state known for alligators, pythons, mosquitoes, hurricanes and heat. Metal frames hold up the tents that will house the immigrants, Florida Capitol correspondent Jason Delgado showed in photos.

As Trump left the White House for the trip, Fox News' Peter Doocy asked him about the idea of "Alligator Alcatraz," and if it was meant to be surrounded by danger.

"Is the idea that if some illegal immigrants escape, they get eaten by an alligator or a snake?" asked Doocy.

"I guess that’s the concept," Trump said about the facility. "This is not a nice business. I guess that is the concept."

"Don’t run in a straight line,” he added. "Run like this," Trump continued, making a zig-zag motion with his hand.

"And you know what, your chances go up by 1 percent. Not a good thing," said Trump.

Megerian noted, "If you happen to find yourself being chased by an alligator, don't follow President Trump's advice to run in a zigzag. Just run straight."

He posted a link to Ask IFAS, which collects peer-reviewed research. The post stated that running in a zig-zag to escape is a myth.

"This is a common misconception. First, it is rare for an alligator to pursue a human because humans are too large to be suitable prey. However, if an alligator does make an aggressive charge, run fast and straight (away from the alligator, of course). They usually do not run very far. But remember, they are most likely to charge at you if you are near their nest," said the report.

Melanie D'Arrigo, the ED of the New York Health Campaign, posted the video of Trump's comments on X, noting that he was laughing about "alligators possibly eating the people who try to escape from indefinite detention in his concentration camp."

The progressive Tennessee Holler noted the facility costs "$450 Million per year for this cruelty."