Mediaboss Marketing

President Donald Trump addressed a massive gathering of Boy Scouts Monday and made it all about himselfa massive breach of customwhile pushing for his political agenda. Republicans were mostly silent on the issue, a curious development considering the GOP slammed former President Barack Obama for telling kids to work hard and persevere in a 2009 back-to-school speech.

Trumps speech at the National Scout Jamboree was widely considered to bewholly inappropriate, breaking from a long tradition of presidents addressing the youngsters and promoting ideals such as serving other people. Trump started his speech by saying, Who the hell wants to speak about politics when Im in front of the Boy Scouts?then proceeded to rant about politics in front of 40,000 Boy Scouts.

He toldHealth and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, standing near him, that he better get votes for a health care bill, otherwise, I'll say, Tom, youre fired.Ill get somebody. Among many, many other comments abouthis win on Election Day, Trumpsaid, But do you remember that incredible night with the maps and the Republicans are red and the Democrats are blue, and that map was so red, it was unbelievable, and they didnt know what to say?He told the scouts, Youre going to be saying Merry Christmasagain, folks.He of course attacked the fake news mediaand Obama.

Daily Emails and Alerts - Get the best of Newsweek delivered to your inbox

Trumpeven claimed the many people in the crowd agreed with one of hisslogans, saying the Boy Scouts believe in putting America First.(He also told the gathering of teens a rambling storyabout a cocktail party in New York that was about momentummaybe?) The left was quick to criticize the president for using the Boy Scouts as a political toolfor their part the group stressed after the speech that they do not endorse any position, product, service, political candidate or philosophywithsome liberalseven saying Trump made the event look like a Hitler Youth rally.But the right was relatively silent.

But as Matt Gertz of the left-wing group Media Matters for America pointed out on Twitter, the right-wing media and conservative figures were happy to jump all over Obama for his 2009 back-to-school speech that was optional for students and promoted ideas such as the importance of staying in school and listening to teachers.

I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself,Obama told students. Every single one of you has something that youre good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. Thats the opportunity an education can provide. Republicans were not happy with that message.

As the father of four children, I am absolutely appalled that taxpayer dollars are being used to spread President Obamas socialist ideology,said Jim Greer, chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. It seems very close to indoctrination, said Fox News Sean Hannity, who is now Trumps No. 1 fan on television. Fox Nation suggested keeping kids home from school. Then-Oklahoma SenatorSteve Russell, aRepublicanwho now serves in the House of Representatives, said Obama was seemingly promoting himself by telling kids to work hard in school. As far as I'm concerned this is not civics educationit gives the appearance of creating a cult of personality,Russell saidat the time.

Read this article:
Republicans Silent on Trump's Boy Scout Speech, but Slammed Obama for a Back-to-School Address - Newsweek