On Monday, Prsident Donald Trump took a break from tweeting and spoke at the Boy Scouts of America's annual National Scout Jamboree in West Virginia. The day was a huge success, with Trump leading the boys in a rousing chant of "Lock her up! Lock her up!" I'M KIDDING THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. But his Jamboree 2017 appearance was the direct opposite of a success, as Trump managed to break one of the cardinal rules of Boy Scouts—no politics—and break it bigly.
Whenever Trump sees a large group of people in front of him, he thinks he's at one of his own rallies. So naturally, he uses it as an opportunity to give a speech about Fake News, how the media hates him, and blah blah blah. He did actually get some of the 40,000 people (mostly children) in attendance to boo both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Woooo! America!
People were obviously very upset and took to social media to express their outrage. One man, author and editor Ted Genoways, posted a long thread on Twitter talking about his own lifelong involvement with the Scouts and his utter disappointment in Donald Trump:
My grandfather was a scoutmaster for 40 yrs. He was awarded the Silver Beaver. The youth leadership award in that council is named for him.
— Ted Genoways (@TedGenoways) July 25, 2017
My father was an #EagleScout. He received the Silver Award in the Explorers. And he attended the National Jamboree in Valley Forge in 1957.
— Ted Genoways (@TedGenoways) July 25, 2017
I was an #EagleScout. I was on the staff of the National Jamboree at Fort AP Hill in 1989.
— Ted Genoways (@TedGenoways) July 25, 2017
My son is in Boy Scouts. He is a Star scout w/ all requirements completed for Life. He's hoping to finish his Eagle by next summer.
— Ted Genoways (@TedGenoways) July 25, 2017
Not long ago, my son and I went through the family collection of old Scout stuff. By trading, we have Jambo patches from 1933 to 1989.
— Ted Genoways (@TedGenoways) July 25, 2017
After looking at all of that, my son has been bugging me to go. He's been making plans w/ his grandfather, talking abt how we should all go.
— Ted Genoways (@TedGenoways) July 25, 2017
Thankfully, we were not among those in today's crowd. But there must be others there with stories like ours. Trump trampled that tradition.
— Ted Genoways (@TedGenoways) July 25, 2017
Worst of all, he did it for no reason. He made the national gathering of Boy Scouts about himself only b/c he makes everything abt himself.
— Ted Genoways (@TedGenoways) July 25, 2017
As Scouts, we were taught never to make our service about politics. Scouts are not supposed to appear in uniform at political events.
— Ted Genoways (@TedGenoways) July 25, 2017
And yet, Trump saw fit to turn the largest gathering of Boy Scouts into a political gathering, as if they had come together only to see him.
— Ted Genoways (@TedGenoways) July 25, 2017
It's the worst kind of desecration, and it he does it repeatedly and without a second thought.
— Ted Genoways (@TedGenoways) July 25, 2017
And before anyone brings it up: No one has a more conflicted relationship w/ Scouts than I do. I love the organization and hate a lot abt it
— Ted Genoways (@TedGenoways) July 25, 2017
In this way, it's a lot like America itself.
— Ted Genoways (@TedGenoways) July 25, 2017
But Trump didn't dishonor the Boy Scouts by falling short of its standards; he made a mockery of the ideals themselves. It's what he does.
— Ted Genoways (@TedGenoways) July 25, 2017
Sadly, the @boyscouts are now in a position of having to disavow statements made by the president, but that's what they must do.
— Ted Genoways (@TedGenoways) July 25, 2017
And by the way, the only time that Trump ever had any previous dealings with the Boy Scouts was when Don Jr. joined in 1989.
— Ted Genoways (@TedGenoways) July 25, 2017
The membership fee was $7 in those days—and Trump didn't pay it out of pocket. He took the money from charity. https://t.co/GHM7utt0vm
— Ted Genoways (@TedGenoways) July 25, 2017
I'm sorry that Trump and Don Jr. didn't stick with it. The first thing they teach you: "A scout is trustworthy."
— Ted Genoways (@TedGenoways) July 25, 2017
TL; DR: Genoways' whole family, from his grandfather down to his son, have had a lifelong involvement with the Boy Scouts. He explains that Scouts are strictly disallowed from making their service about politics. But Donald Trump did exactly that in his speech, acting like the 2017 Jamboree was one of his rallies. In doing this, Genoways says that Trump "dishonor[ed]" the Boy Scouts not just by choosing not to adhere to their values, but by "making a mockery of the ideals themselves."
Yup, that sounds like classic Trump.
You can watch the whole speech (if you hate yourself) below.