Batman Question Comes From A Superhero Loving 9 Year-Old
Sean, (6), Brendan (5), and Liam (9) Bowman stand in front of Donald Trump’s helicopter on Saturday. (photo by Sarah Bowman)
What 9 year-old doesn’t wonder who Batman is?
Des Moines, Iowa – It was the ride of a lifetime for three central Iowa boys; Sean, (6), Brendan (5), Henry (3) and William, otherwise known as Liam, Bowman.
Liam, who is 9, knows that he’s an internet sensation, and that his question to Trump has gone viral, but doesn’t quite understand “what trending means, and viral means,” says Sarah Bowman, Liam’s mother.
Sarah Bowman, her husband David Bowman and the four boys, took off to the Iowa State Fair on Saturday. They were celebrating Henry’s birthday.
Tana Gerts, a children’s book writer, is friends with Sarah. Hannah asked if Liam would be willing to take the Go-Pro camera along with him on the flight to help provide a child’s point of view. The camera was provided by Iowa filmmaker Monte Goodyk, who is currently filming a documentary about the candidates running to become president.
Henry wasn’t so sure about taking a ride on the helicopter, so he hung back with dad. Sarah, Sean, Brendan and Liam all hopped into the 7 million-dollar Sikorsky for the group’s first ever flight. During the flight, Sarah says the look of joy on Sean’s face “is just amazing.”
Before the helicopter ride, Liam had asked his father David if Trump was Batman, because Trump has a black helicopter, has lots of money, and is a nice guy. David told Liam that he would need to ask Trump that question.
So, while in the air, Liam asked Trump just that. “Mr. Trump, are you Batman?”
Being in a jovial mood, Trump said, much like any grandfather or uncle may, “I am Batman.”
“It was just my boys being boys,” said Sarah. “You know, talking about comic books.”
“I had no idea he was going to ask that question,” says Sarah. “In the video, you can see me politely laugh and then nervously tuck my hair behind my ear. I can’t believe my kid just asked that question.”
The Bowmans are friends with the Rouths. Brandon Routh played Superman in Superman Returns, so superheros are not so uncommon. Neither are politicians, as Sarah has worked in Iowa politics since 2002, and her family has grown up around politicians.
Liam, in particular, has become very familiar with the political scene since his mother, Sarah, was the Polk County Republicans Co-Chair. Her husband David was deployed to Iraq, so Liam was often her date to the many political functions. “He’s [Liam] just use to politicians,” says Sarah.
Sarah remembers Liam, two at the time, walking up to Senator John McCain saying, “Hello my friend. I’m William Bowman.”
On Sunday, the family started to get the idea that the comment by Liam was getting some attention when David, also a comic book fan, spotted the comment on comicbooks.com. “He said OK, this is going to be huge.”
Sarah told Liam he was probably going to go viral. Liam responded by asking if he was going to be sick.
Neither Sarah or her husband David have committed to any candidate, but says that the buzz around Trump and his candidacy is unlike anything she has witnessed before. “I have never seen this kind of buzz around any politician,” says Sarah, who has witnessed numerous campaigns, including Chuck Grassley and George W. Bush.
