Jul 24, 2017 - Economy & Business

What Trump told the Boy Scouts

Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP

President Trump addressed the National Jamboree of the Boy Scouts of America on Monday, riling up the big crowd with attacks on the media and boasts about his election victory.

He noted that 10 of his cabinet members were scouts, and three of them — Energy Sec. Rick Perry, Interior Sec. Ryan Zinke and Health and Human Services Sec. Tom Price — joined him on stage. At one point Trump joked that Price "better get" the votes needed to repeal the Affordable Care Act, "otherwise I'll say, 'Tom, you're fired.'"

Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who Trump publicly criticized Monday and has discussed replacing, is an Eagle Scout but was not in attendance.

Highlights from the speech:

  • "Loyalty, we could use some more loyalty I'll tell you that."
  • "You'll be saying 'Merry Christmas' again when you go shopping."
  • He said he was keeping his promises on energy, the economy, and rebuilding the military.
  • On election night: "That incredible night with the maps…that map was so red it was unbelievable."
  • Advice for the scouts: Love your job. "When you do something you love like I do... you're not really working... you don't really think of it as work."
  • Trump spoke about the importance of not losing momentum and never quitting. To illustrate that point, he spent several minutes speaking about William Levitt, a real estate developer who was once one of the richest men in America but saw his wealth slip away by the time Trump met him at an exclusive New York cocktail party.
"Did President Obama ever come to a jamboree?"

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