Hey, it was a mean, hungry, "swamp rabbit." Them things can eat their weight in carrots. Jimmuh was fortunate to have that oar with which to frighten off the rascal.
The funniest thing about that whole absurd incident was that the President of the United States actually released pictures showing how the rabbit had been approaching his boat. Jimmuh and his advisers were so stupid that they didn't realize that it would make him appear to be an even bigger idiot.