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‘Ugly Fascist Rally’: Parents Flood Boy Scouts’ Facebook Page Furious Over Trump Political Speech at Jamboree

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“You allowed a scouting jamboree to be turned into an ugly fascist rally straight out of Triumph of the Will. How could you? Please reassure me what was said has no relation to the scouting values we cherish ourselves and hope to instill in our kids.”

Parent and grandparents, many themselves former Scouts, are flooding the Boy Scouts of America’s Facebook page with furious comments in response to President Donald Trump’s vulgar, politicized speech at the 2017 National Scout Jamboree in West Virginia. 

The President of the United States is always the honorary President of the Boy Scouts of America, and President Trump was only too happy to address the gathering of 40,000 Boy Scouts Monday. In his rambling speech he swore, called for loyalty to himself, incited the young boys and teens to denounced even “boo” former President Barack Obama and Trump’s former political opponent, Hillary Clinton, bragged about the “record” crowd size — of Boy Scouts — attending his speech, denounced the “fake news,” spoke at length about his Electoral College win, threatened to fire a Cabinet Secretary, told a tale about a cocktail party, and violated every detail of the Boy Scout oath.

The Scouting oath emphasizes duty to God and country, duty to other people, and duty to self:

On my honor, I will do my best 
To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; 
To help other people at all times; 
To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.

Who the hell wants to speak about politics when I’m in front of the boy scouts?” President Trump asked Monday on stage, and then proceeded to do exactly that.

Never before in the 80 years of presidents addressing Scouts has the inviolable rule of not politicizing an address to the children and their leaders been broken.

On the Boy Scouts’ Facebook page, there are thousands of comments denouncing the President’s remarks, and expressing anger at the Boy Scouts of America leadership for allowing President Trump to address the Scouts. Many say they are former Scouts, they come from a family with a history of Scouting, they are parents of Scouts — many are all of the above. 

I am a West Virginian. My family valued scouting. My brothers went to Philmont. It was painful to see Donald Trump address a captive audience of impressionable young people in such a callous and partisan way. You should issue a statement of regret.” 

How could BSA allow this? You allowed a scouting jamboree to be turned into an ugly fascist rally straight out of Triumph of the Will. How could you? Please reassure me what was said has no relation to the scouting values we cherish ourselves and hope to instill in our kids.”

My annual check to support was waiting to be mailed. It is now shredded. I will instead write a check to a voting rights group. My son will stay in scouts. He was as appalled as we were.”

Speaking as the mother of a former Cub Scout, it appears to me that these words no longer have any meaning: On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.”

You need to apologize. It looked like a group of little fascists cheering their dear leader.”

As a former Scout, as well as a former employee of Philmont Scout Ranch, I am beyond appalled that the Jamboree was turned into a political rally tonight. Unless the BSA condemns the President’s conduct (which included bullying, name-calling, and swearing) in strong and clear terms, I will know that there is no place for my two sons in scouting.”

I am an Eagle Scout and Brotherhood member of the Order of the Arrow. I am disgusted by the sham that occurred today at the Jamboree. These are not the values that the Scout Oath and Law teach to us. Lord Baden-Powell said that ‘It’s the spirit within, not the veneer without, that makes a man.’ It seems as if we have forgotten that fact.”

Many are threatening to discontinue financial and other support for the BSA unless the organization apologizes.

“I have donated to the Boy Scouts in the past and had thought that the increase in diversity that we’ve seen over the past 5+ years was a good thing. However, in my opinion the campaign like rally that 45 was allowed to put on today left me sick to my stomach and worried for the impressionable young minds that he was spewing his filth into. Somebody from the Boy Scouts organization has some explaining to do if they ever hope to see anymore of my hard earned money.”

“I am SHOCKED that BSA let this person speak to our children this way. BSA needs to send out an apology to the parents. Politics is not allowed in the organization. I will not support your programs if there is no retraction.”

My son was a boy scout for several years and I have much respect for the organization. I have donated consistently over the years but after the stunt pulled by the man in the office of president I’m not planning on donating after this unless the heads of the Boy Scouts organization issues an apology.”

Some took a different approach, demanding an apology from the Trump White House.

I know there was no leader at the podium. Be a leader: renounce that speech, and demand an apology from the White House.”

It appears the leadership of the Boy Scouts was at least cognizant a problem might crop up, given the keynote speaker.

“As a unit leader or staff member, you can help make the president’s visit a success by ensuring that any reactions to the president’s address are, as we state in our Scout Law, friendly, courteous, and kind,” a BSA Jamboree blog post to Scout Leaders  Monday, presumably before Trump’s speech, says. “This includes understanding that chants of certain phrases heard during the campaign (e.g. ‘build the wall,’ ‘lock her up’) are considered divisive by many members of our audience, and may cause unnecessary friction between individuals and units. Please help us ensure that all Scouts can enjoy this historical address by making sure that your troop members are respectful not only of the president, but of the wide variety of viewpoints held by Scouts and Scouters in the audience tonight.”

That apparently was posted too late.

Here are some screenshots of some more comments. Almost all are expressing anger at the President and/or the Boy Scouts:

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Platner Scorched Over ‘Taking Time’ Video After New Accusation

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Maine Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Graham Platner is under fire after releasing a video declaring that new allegations against him are false, yet he is “taking time to reflect” on a path forward.

Politico on Monday afternoon reported that a woman who dated Platner, Jenny Racicot, “says he forced her to have sex with him nearly five years ago despite her repeated objections, an allegation Platner denies.”

“Racicot said she had an on-and-off relationship with Platner,” Politico reported, “for more than two years before he entered her rural Maine home uninvited one night in late 2021, deeply intoxicated, and forced himself on her while she repeatedly told him to stop. She said she cut off contact with him after telling him the encounter was not consensual.”

In a video posted to social media eleven minutes after the Politico story dropped, Platner says, “I wanted to directly address the troubling, serious, and false allegations against me. Any accusation of nonconsensual behavior is categorically false.”

He said he and his supporters “were united in a love of Maine, a belief that our politics must change, in a focus on defeating Susan Collins.”

“So, regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting, but mindful the political reality will inflict, we are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward for the state that I love, the people that I love, the movement I belong to, and the goal of defeating Susan Collins.”

“Those were the goals when we launched this campaign. And they remain my goals today.”

“Throughout it all, you never turned your back on me. And I will not turn my back on you now. Every one of you deserves to see that vision come to fruition and see Susan Collins defeated. And we will use every tool at our disposal to do so.”

The Bulwark’s Tim Miller, a political commentator who served as the communications director for the Jeb Bush 2016 presidential campaign, blasted Platner.

“I’m sorry but ‘we are taking time to reflect on the best path forward’ is not an option on the table,” Miller wrote. “Either it’s false and you campaign with vigor or it’s true and you get out / apologize to everyone you let down.”

Journalist Ryan Grim, commenting on Platner’s video, noted that Platner “strongly suggests he is considering dropping out. Already Troy Jackson and Chellie Pingree, both gubernatorial candidates, are being kicked around in Maine circles as potential replacements.”

Several others, including Puck News’ Peter Hamby, predicted Platner will be dropping out.

Platner had postponed several campaign events before the Politico story was published.

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Trump Sparks Fury Online After Posting Unblurred Video of Muslim Kindergartners in Hijabs

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President Donald Trump is facing backlash after posting a video of children — including showing their unblurred faces — graduating from kindergarten, with some of the girls purportedly wearing hijabs.

“President Trump posted a captionless video of graduating kindergarteners on Truth Social on Monday, goading his supporters into verbally attacking little children simply for being Muslim,” The New Republic reported. “The clip is from Gateway STEM Academy, a majority-Black K-8 public charter school in St. Paul, Minnesota. It shows about 21 children in caps and gowns on stage singing a song together. Most of the girls are wearing hijabs.”

The original post of the video which Trump reposted reads: “Public school in St. Paul, Minnesota. Every girl is in a hijab … in kindergarten.”

Trump did not add any comments. TNR called the post “Islamophobic, weird, and creepy,” while noting that the comments section of Trump’s post was filled with calls “by racist, xenophobic MAGA supporters” to “deport the children and ban hijabs.”

TNR also noted that it “should come as no surprise that Trump isn’t above attacking children who just learned how to read, but this post is still particularly discomforting—and will certainly contribute to the already potent level of anti-Muslim sentiment in the U.S. and in Minnesota.”

Critics blasted Trump.

“There is something deeply unsettling about the president of the United States—the most powerful person in the world—going after kindergarten schoolchildren in Minnesota because they wore hijabs, as Trump has done this morning on his website,” The Bulwark’s Sam Stein wrote.

One social media commentator wrote, “Trump posted an unblurred video of more than a dozen Muslim kindergartners to Truth Social, exposing the children’s faces while targeting them for their religion.”

Another added, “Trump is a bigot. The president took to Truth Social to attack kindergarteners in hijabs. These are little kids. The president isn’t just a bigot, he’s also a coward.”

The original video was posted to the X social media platform in June.

U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) at the time commented, “If you are in a public school in America, you should be speaking english.”

 

Image via Reuters 

 

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One Legal Maneuver Threatens to Undo Everything E. Jean Carroll Won

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President Donald Trump’s apparent efforts to delay releasing the $5.8 million civil judgment to E. Jean Carroll are being met with a warning by the journalist’s legal team, who suggest there could be a legal maneuver for Trump to employ to forgo paying the judgment in either of the two cases he lost.

According to The Guardian, on July 4, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan ordered Trump to release the $5.8 million judgment, which is in escrow, to Carroll by this coming Tuesday — or explain why he would not do so.

Carroll’s attorneys think Trump may be trying to buy time to mount another legal strategy, telling the judge that Trump’s request for an extension “appears to be little more than yet another play for time.”

“The case is separate from Trump’s appeal of a Manhattan civil jury’s 2024 award of $83.3m to Carroll for defamation,” The Guardian explains. “But her lawyers have suggested a legal scenario in which the president might seek to conjoin the cases and further delay payment of both.”

Carroll’s attorney Roberta Kaplan (no relation to the judge) wrote, “We can only assume that defendant is seeking … to buy time so he can try to concoct some new basis to put off paying plaintiff presumably in connection with his forthcoming petition and motion for a rehearing.”

Trump’s former attorney, Justin Smith, in one of his final acts, wrote to the Supreme Court suggesting that his client would be appealing the $83.3 million civil judgment.

Smith argued that the Supreme Court “may wish to consider the petitions together,” given they involve the same parties.

The larger judgment case involves possible questions of presidential immunity, and that has Carroll’s attorneys concerned.

“A conjoined case, Carroll’s lawyers fear, could result in both judgments being wiped out,” The Guardian reports.

The president has also made clear he is no fan of Judge Kaplan, after the jurist made several rulings that “angered” Trump.

“What else can you expect from a Trump Hating, Clinton appointed judge, who went out of his way to make sure that the result was as negative as it could possible be,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in 2023, “speaking to, and in control of, a jury from an anti-Trump area which is probably the worst place in the US for me to get a fair ‘trial’.”

 

Image via Reuters

 

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