Trump Speech to Scouts Draws Ire of “Fake News” Media
Article audio sponsored by The John Birch Society

The infamous “swamp” and its “fake news” media organs were foaming at the mouth after President Donald Trump’s Monday speech at the National Scout Jamboree. From fury over Trump’s defense of “Merry Christmas,” to manufactured outrage about the president’s alleged politicking in front of children, the establishment press was in full meltdown mode as anti-Trump hysteria masquerading as “news” flooded the wires. No doubt the swipe against ObamaCare or the half a dozen references to God annoyed the press, too. Perhaps what most infuriated the swamp and its increasingly discredited “mainstream” media, though, were Trump’s repeated jabs at their never-ending stream of “fake news” and “fake polls.”

It does seem like Trump at least intended to avoid politics during his speech to the Scouts. “Tonight we put aside all of the policy fights in Washington, D.C. you’ve been hearing about with the fake news and all of that,” he said in his opening. “We’re going to put that aside. And instead we’re going to talk about success, about how all of you amazing young Scouts can achieve your dreams, what to think of, what I’ve been thinking about. You want to achieve your dreams, I said, who the hell wants to speak about politics when I’m in front of the Boy Scouts? Right?” And indeed, aside from some apparently non-scripted remarks when he looked away from his teleprompter, Trump mostly avoided politics.

Most of Trump’s speech dealt with giving the Scouts advice on how to succeed — hard work, good values, doing something you love, and so on. He also showered praise on America and scouting generally. But in the end, Trump did make a number of passing references to ongoing political battles — including the fight over ObamaCare, the unpopular federal healthcare takeover that Trump slammed as “this horrible thing” that is “really hurting us” and must be quashed. Despite the hysterical media shrieking about Trump’s alleged violation of protocol, though, the crowd seemed to have loved the comments, joining in a roaring chant of “USA! USA! USA!”

The “fake news” media sought to create a false impression about it all. But in reality, Trump did not attack Democrats or even hostile Republicans specifically. Instead, the president took aim at the infamous “swamp” in D.C. more broadly. For instance, in Washington, “I see all these politicians, and I see the swamp, and it’s not a good place,” said Trump, the honorary president of the Boy Scouts of America. “In fact, today, I said we ought to change it from the word swamp to the word cesspool or perhaps to the word sewer. But it’s not good. Not good.” That is part of the reason Trump said he preferred to be with the Scouts than in the capital.   

His criticism of the “fake” press was especially stinging — and no doubt infuriating for anti-Trump activists pretending to be journalists. Even much of what the press claimed was political talk would be more accurately described as assaults on the lying media. Among other jabs, the president made constant references to the establishment press and what he characterized as its stunning dishonesty. From suggesting repeatedly that the press would omit information, distort his message, and downplay the event; to ridiculing the increasingly rabid national press for publishing lies and “fake news;” Trump’s non-partisan attacks on the hostile media were infused throughout the speech.

“The fake media will say, President Trump spoke — you know what is — President Trump spoke before a small crowd of Boy Scouts today,” Trump joked after highlighting the massive size of the audience. “That’s some — that is some crowd. Fake media. Fake news.” Numerous similar swipes at the press were made throughout the speech.

The fake news media, as Trump referred to them, responded exactly as he predicted they would: With deception, phony outrage, and hysterical huffing and puffing. Among other concerns, more than a few media outlets — infamous for constantly glorifying immorality — pretended to be shocked that Trump would allude to parties with celebrities and other things that the president declined to go into detail about in front of Scouts. They also scoured Twitter to find self-described Scouts who claimed to be upset by Trump’s speech. Based on the crowd’s response, though, the number of people upset or offended by Trump’s words was likely minimal.    

By contrast, in between exposing the “fake news” and the “swamp,” Trump had nothing but lavish praise for America, his own top officials, and Scouts generally. “Boy Scout values are American values. And great Boy Scouts become great, great Americans,” he said, highlighting many of the Scouts serving in his administration. “The United States has no better citizens than its Boy Scouts. The values, traditions and skills you learn here will serve you throughout your lives. And just as importantly, they will serve your families, your cities, and in the future and in the present will serve your country. The Scouts believe in putting America first.”

As president, Trump said, he relies on former Boy Scouts every single day. “And so do the American people,” he said. “It’s amazing how many Boy Scouts we have at the highest level of our great government. Many of my top advisers in the White House were Scouts. Ten members of my cabinet were Scouts. Can you believe that? Ten.” He pointed to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the former national president of the organization, as well as Vice President Mike Pence and others. “Each of these leaders will tell that you their road to American success — and you have to understand — their American success, and they are a great, great story, was paved with the patriotic American values and traditions they learned in the Boy Scouts.”

Trump praised what he characterized as Scouts’ values, too. “You know, in the Boy Scouts you learn right from wrong, correct? You learn to contribute to your communities, to take pride in your nation, and to seek out opportunities to serve,” he said, ignoring the ongoing controversy surrounding the organization’s retreat from longtime moral principles on sexuality and truth. “In the Scout oath, you pledge on your honor to do your best and to do your duty to God and your country…. But the words duty, country and God are beautiful words. In other words, basically what you’re doing is you’re pledging to be a great American patriot.”

Trump’s speech at the National Scout Jamboree is part of a long tradition stretching back some eight decades. Numerous Americans presidents such as  Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush have all spoken at the event. Barack Obama, on the other hand, declined two opportunities to speak there while president, instead sending a video of himself. More than 30,000 Scouts from across America assembled in West Virginia for the event this year.  

In response to Trump’s speech, multiple swamp creatures exploded with fury. Former Obama advisor Jon Wolfsthal, for example, fumed that Trump turned the Boy Scouts event into a “Nazi Youth rally.” “Boy Scouts must repudiate such a disgraceful display,” he added in what analysts called a perfect example of what has come to be known as “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” A number of other figures made similar comments on social media. And the swamp’s propaganda organs, in particular, ludicrously acted as if Trump had ripped off a mask and revealed himself to be a reincarnation of Hitler.

In response to the “fake news” hysteria that Trump warned would be coming, the Boy Scouts organization issued a statement that the “fake news” falsely presented as a disavowal of Trump or an effort to distance itself from the president. “The Boy Scouts of America is wholly non-partisan and does not promote any one position, product, service, political candidate or philosophy,” says the statement. “The invitation for the sitting U.S. president to visit the National Jamboree is a long-standing tradition and is in no way an endorsement of any political party or specific policies.”

Of course, aside from phony controversy drummed up by the “fake news” media, the Boy Scouts have indeed been swamped by very real controversy in recent years. Perhaps most extreme has been the organization’s surrender to fringe homosexual activists — the so-called Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) movement and its corporate, establishment backers. First, the Scouts agreed to let open homosexual children join. Then openly homosexual adults could become leaders. And finally, this year, the Scouts started allowing in girls who claim to be confused about their “gender.”

In response, numerous religious organizations have withdrawn support, and countless Christian parents have shunned the organization in favor of alternative scouting groups such as Trail Life standing firm on Christian moral principles.

The increasingly fringe establishment media went into overdrive frothing at the mouth over Trump’s alleged violations of protocol and tradition in the speech by supposedly discussing politics with young Americans. Illustrating their hypocrisy, though, they say virtually nothing about, for example, the systematic indoctrination of children in government schools to believe in globalism, climate change, socialism, humanism, and the Democrat Party. Also left untouched by the press has been the Girl Scouts’ efforts to push homosexuality, abortion, feminism, and more on young girls. And when Obama exploited children for propaganda purposes while signing unconstitutional executive orders on gun control, the establishment media was too busy singing his praises to notice.

If the press ever wants to be taken seriously again, it should consider laying off the fake news about Trump and focus on exposing the forces that would subvert the U.S. Constitution and American sovereignty. In the meantime, Trump will undoubtedly continue to expose and ridicule them on the national stage. And for that, Scouts who value truth and Americans in general should be eternally grateful.  

Photo of President Trump at Boy Scout Jamboree: AP Images

Alex Newman is a correspondent for The New American, covering economics, education, politics, and more. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ALEXNEWMAN_JOU or on Facebook.

Related articles:

Boy Scouts’ Moral Collapse: Will Allow “Trans” Girls in Ranks

Mormon Church Cuts Ties With Boy Scouts — Sort of …

Boy Scouts Bend Again: Will Allow Homosexual Scout Leaders

Catholic Archdiocese Nixes Girl Scouts and Says No to Cookie Sales

Trump Victory Proves “Mainstream” Media Is Globalist Fringe

In Poland, Trump Defends Western Civilization and Freedom

Boy Scouts Complete Cave-in to Homosexual Demands

Big Media “Journalists” Exposed in Secret Progressive Network

Trump Vows that, “With God’s Help,” Cuba Will Soon Be Free

At Liberty University, Trump Invokes God as Source of Freedom