On Monday, President Trump spoke to nearly 40,000 Boy Scouts at the 2017 National Scout Jamboree in Beaver, West Virginia. His address, which began with "Who the hell wants to speak about politics when I'm in front of the Boy Scouts?” has been heavily criticized by many who feel that the speech was overly political and thus inappropriate for the Jamboree.
What was said?
In his speech, the president jokingly threatened to fire Health Secretary Tom Price if Congress did not vote to repeal and replace Obamacare. He also made a jab at former President Barack Obama for not personally attending either of the two Jamborees held during his administration, even though Obama did address the 2010 Jamboree via video.
The public's response to Trump's speech
After the speech, many parents and former Scouts were outraged. Jon Wolfsthal, a former special assistant to President Obama, tweeted, “Is nothing safe? @realDonaldTrump turns @boyscouts event into Nazi Youth rally. Boy Scouts must repudiate such a disgraceful display.”
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut shared a similar sentiment, taking to Twitter to state, “As a Scout leader, my stomach is in knots about what Trump did today. If you haven't watched it yet, don't. It's downright icky.”
The Boy Scouts of America Facebook page was swarmed with posts from angry parents and others. One woman wrote, "I am the proud mother of a former scout who was sheltered from that pack of lies speech at the Jamboree.
Done with scouts after you felt the need to have my kid listen to a liar stroke his ego on our time."
Amy Siskind, a lobbyist for women's and LGBT rights, tweeted, "If the Boy Scouts organization has any decency, they'll come out with a statement tonight denouncing Trump, and giving instructions for all troop leaders to speak to these boys about what they just heard and why it was wrong."
How did the BSA react?
However, the Boys Scouts of America is standing by its decision to invite President Trump to the 2017 Jamboree, despite public criticism.
In a statement released on its website Tuesday, the organization said: “The Boy Scouts of America is wholly non-partisan and does not promote any one political position, candidate or philosophy.” The statement goes on to say that every president since Franklin D. Roosevelt had been invited to speak at the Jamboree, and such invitations are not an endorsement of any particular party or policies.
Instead, the invitation stems from the “Duty to Country” mentioned in the Boy Scout Oath and respect for the Office of the President. The statement closes by repeating that the Boy Scouts is an organization made up of many different viewpoints, and that the Boy Scouts of America will continue to be respectful of that wide assortment of viewpoints.
