If you watched all of President Trump’s speech to the Boy Scout Jamboree Monday you would have heard a number of inspiring comments and sound advice.
“As much as you can, do something that you love; work hard and never, ever give up and you are going to be tremendously successful,” Trump told the more than 35,000 Scouts, leaders and volunteers at the Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve.
Trump has credibility on that message because when he launched his candidacy June 16, 2015 few believed he had a chance. That “never-give-up” attitude will carry you a long way in the pursuit of your goals.
The President also praised the Scouts for their commitment and service, citing the 15-million hours of volunteer work by the Scouts last year and the 100,000 hours of community work during the Jamboree.
“Your values are the same values that have always kept America strong, proud and free,” he told the cheering Scouts.
The young men surely already understand the value of their Scouting, but it’s reassuring to hear reinforcement from the President of the United States. So why then did the President feel compelled to drift off into politics and unsuitable comments considering the venue?
At times, Trump sounded like he was back on the campaign trail, talking about fake news, Hillary Clinton and President Obama.
“Just a question: did President Obama ever come to a Jamboree?” Trump asked, eliciting boos from the crowd. “And we’ll be back. We’ll be back. The answer is no, but we’ll be back.” It’s true that Obama never appeared at a Jamboree in person, but he did deliver a video message to the 2010 gathering.
Trump lapsed into a rehash of his win on election night. “Do we remember our day? Wasn’t that a beautiful day? What a day.” He then recounted his surprise win over Clinton in Michigan. “My opponent didn’t work hard there,” he said, eliciting more boos from the Scouts.
The President also called out U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito from the podium on the healthcare vote. “You better get Senator Capito to vote for it,” he said.
These and other political statements by Trump broke a long-standing tradition. The Scouts released a statement that their policy does indeed specify that Scouts in uniform should not appear in places where people “could construe their presence as an endorsement or symbol of support.”
Trump loyalists say he was elected because he is different… not a typical politician, they say. Yet he cannot seem to resist one of the worst characteristics of a hackneyed politician and that is the tendency to self-aggrandize.
Mondays’ off-script riffs were inappropriate considering the audience and they unfortunately overshadowed what was otherwise an inspirational message.