[NZHERALD.CO.NZ] President Trump's latest speech has broken the golden rule of public speaking - know your audience - leading to fury over a highly politicised speech to a Jamboree of 40,000 Boy Scouts in West Virginia.
Fuming parents of the Scouts present took to social media after the controversial speech in which the President railed against "fake news" and the Washington "sewer".
"Tonight we put aside all of the policy fights in Washington, DC you've been hearing about with the fake news and all of that," he told the boys who were there for outdoor activities and to develop their leadership skills.
"You know, I go to Washington and I see all these politicians and I see the swamp and it's not a good place."
"In fact, today I said we ought to change it from the word 'swamp' to the word 'cesspool' or perhaps to the word 'sewer.' It's not good. I see what's going on and believe me, I'd much rather be with you, that I can tell you," he said.
The President heaped scorn on the "fake media" and said the size of the crowd would be incorrectly reported. He also referred to "this horrible thing known as Obamacare
... aka the Affordable Care Act, an ineptly designed and worse executed piece of legislation designed to bring 17 percent of the U.S. economy under the direct control of the government. The previous iteration, known as Hillarycare, was laughed out of Washington. This stinker was passed on a party-line vote without being read...
" and saw President B.O. - a former Boy Scout himself - booed by the audience.
The speech led to a swift backlash from some parents who said they thought it was contradicting the Boy Scout ethos of courtesy and respect.
"My son and I, along with others I am sure, will be dropping out of Scouts due to supporting behaviour that is contrary to the following Mission Statement," said Michael Christopher Stafford on the organization's Facebook page.
Jude Nevans wrote that she was "done with Scouts" after "you felt the need to have my kid listen to a liar stroke his ego on our time."
Darlington Braden said "Shame on you. You should have asked Trump to do a video address. You knew what would happen. This is on you, and now your organization is covered in Trump slime." |