My Middle-aged White Lady Perspective: Yes, This IS Who We Are.

I don't really even know where to start trying to describe what I was feeling as I watched the drama that was Wednesday unfold. Here's a sampling of what I remember blurting out while watching the news from various outlets including Fox, CNN, and CSPAN: 

Can someone please tell the Trumps to #STFU? I am SO sick of listening to them... What the actual hell?! What is going on? They're storming the Capitol??  Where are the police? Where the hell are the police? They're letting them walk through? This is insane! Honey - you're not going to believe this - it's a nightmare! Holy cow - this is nuts! I can't believe this! Someone's going to try and blame the Dems for this, I can hear it already. Good lord...!  We know who caused this. Can't wait for them to try and deflect... So much for our moral upper hand, right? This is SURREAL...

There was more, probably - this is what I remember saying, and thinking, and much of it is still rattling around in my head. I was happy that someone jumped on a family chat group that we have open for things both silly and important and reached out - it was good to know that we weren't watching alone here, and that others were on the same sort of emotional rollercoaster I was (my husband doesn't get as invested as I do; he wasn't even watching most of the time).

Anyway, here we are, the official duties of the House and Senate finished, our votes confirmed and "accepted." And now, we deal with the aftermath. 

From my middle-aged white lady perspective, as I posted yesterday on social media, what we saw Wednesday was who we are. Some have disagreed with me, but to me, taken in its totality, Wednesday was in fact who we are.  

We are angry. There are a whole host of reasons why, too numerous to mention. I'd suggest some folks are angry simply because it gives them the opportunity to roar, nor because of any personal impact by anything that's happening, or because of any ideological or ethical reasons - it's just noise, going along with noise. That's the most dangerous kind, right? Our faces are red with anger, and similarly blue.

We are followers. A strong voice, a 'way with words,' someone who 'speaks our language' and down the primrose path we go. A path to salvation (however that's defined in this minute, in this moment, in this time.) We have salvation in spades, and legions of 'preachers' ready, willing, and able to guide us to our salvation of choice, whether it's keeping poor people out of our neighborhoods, or guaranteeing religious freedom for the right religions, or lowering taxes for the folks who can most afford to pay them, or giving free education to people, and free health care, and so on. Some of the salvation is promised by actual preachers (as opposed to people of faith), but much of it comes from false prophets, using love of country as the foundation, saying what we want to hear, whoever we are, whatever our redness or blueness, preaching from pulpits of our televisions, our statehouses, our Capitol, our White House.

We are without irony (1). We riot, we storm the Capitol, to "take back our country" and do so carrying a pole with two flags - the one bearing the name of a man above the Stars and Stripes. We riot, we storm the Capitol, to "defend our constitution" and support those who are literally trying to bypass the Constitution. We protest things being stolen from us by trying to steal the same thing from others. We lash out at perpetrators - those who do exactly what we want them to do, what we encouraged them to do - and then vote the way they want us to. What is wrong with us?

We are without irony (2). We saw protests, and rioting, around the country last summer; in some places it went on for weeks. We have a hard time separating protests from riots, and we have a hard time being consistent in our distaste for either or both: it all depends on the reason, the voice, the message. We will tolerate 'protests' if we agree with the reason, but tolerate them much less if we don't. We will tolerate rioting, argue that it's OK if a few people lost their businesses because it's for the greater good, but we won't tolerate rioting if the 'good' is not great enough in our eyes. We appreciate 'our rights' but the rights of certain others, less so. Rights red and blue. Protests red and blue. Riots red and blue. Irony red and blue.

We are without irony (3). I saw a rant on social media, that we are one country, we have the same color blood, and we need to come together as a country, if not for us, for our children and grandchildren. The poster will not support anything the Democrats stand for.  (Come together, right now... oh, never mind.) Some commented on the rant that they don't care which party is in power as long as their investments do OK.  (Go Country! We're all in it together!  Except the people who aren't in the market.) And the mainstream media and social media are evil (but not their media, and not the people they follow on social media). Look at us, coming together, red white and blue, for our children and their children. My head hurts from the shaking. This conversation happens when we are talking just as it does when they are talking. It happens every single day.

We are reactive. Look at my reactions above. Look at your own reactions to what you saw. Look at the reactions of your friends and family, even the ones who blame Antifa and BLM and fascists and socialists and communists and the deep state pizza gate Satanic pedophile shadow government and the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus. Well, not Santa Claus, because we saved Christmas. We know who did this, we know who was behind it, and dammit, we are right! Watch the news, listen to the words we used: sedition. Insurrection. Storming the Capitol. Attacking our democracy. Stealing the votes. Stealing the country from us. Patriots. Defenders of our democracy. Special people. Strong supporters. They are just angry and afraid of being left behind. We know we are right, and they are wrong. We know that, both sides of 'we' know that, without having to wait an instant. We don't need proof, they don't need proof; we are immediate, and we are right. That we can't tell who the real believers are and who the opportunists are equally doesn't matter, for we are busy reacting. I am we and you are we and we are all together in our weness - aren't we?

Many people with convictions lack courage, or people with courage lack conviction. The speeches. The agony. The angst. The fiery defense of good (throwing out votes, defending the Constitution, defending the American Republic). The fiery condemnation of evil (throwing out votes, defending the Constitution, defending the American Republic.) Strong - dare I say harsh - words, for the president and those who would be his replacement, they think (we know better). Promises that there will be swift handling of him (impeach him now! 25th amendment NOW!) and them (sanction; censure; expulsion or similar). Heads will roll! Firings will occur! Resignations will be demanded!

What do we want? Retribution! When do we want it? Immediately after we get the hell out of dodge, go home, and start our memoirs, or start drafting legislation so that nothing like this will ever happen again, or just hide until "it's over."

Promises made, promises not kept. The Senate is in recess until January 19th. The House is in  recess until after the Inauguration. Shouldn't they have stayed there? Rolled up their sleeves and helped clean up the literal and figurative messes? And even if they get retribution, what's going to happen? Are wounds going to be healed? Will the country wake up the next day thinking everything's OK? Of course not! 

The list of those abandoning the president's ship is long and growing longer; it seems his words are, finally, untenable. All of the offenses against American ideals, against our allies, against human beings, against those shithole countries. All of the angry rhetoric, the disparaging remarks (yes, that includes the racist stuff), the public humiliation, the boycotting of American companies for offending him or damaging his daughter's income, all of the lies, the adulation of dictators, the assaults on the Constitution, on the rights of people who don't agree with him - all of that was fine. 

But Wednesday? That was, finally, "too much."  Or, worse, far worse, "they didn't know he was like this, and boy if they had, they wouldn't have ever worked for him." They knew. Every single one of them knew. They watched him fire people on Twitter, they know that one so treated found out on television that he had been fired. Did they leave then? 

Hell no, they didn't. They were the 'we' and the targets of the president were the 'them' and It. All. Was. Fine. And still, they applaud him on the way out the door. 

I know, now, that you're a simpering child and a flaming jerk and un-American and unpresidential, but boy, I'm proud of what we accomplished. And since I'll be out of a job in two weeks anyway, I'll take my leave now, and take credit for that, thank you very much. And I hope you buy my book.

And I'm not just talking about current and former members of the president's cabinet. I'm talking about all of the members of the Republican Party, including party chairmen, and elected officials at all levels who have hitched themselves to his bandwagon, those who have defended him, and those who have ignored the worst of him because they could justify it. I'm talking about the ones who want to replace him, the ones who helped fire up the protesters and incite the rioters. Too much? Too little. Too late. Nice try, though.

And now, when they have one last chance to do the right thing - to make the president suck it up, shove his ego in his pocket, pull up his big boy pants, and show the world that we are Americans, that we are bigger than what happened Wednesday, that we are America, and we can do this? 

They, and we, are cheering the president's nonparticipation in the ceremonial transfer of the presidency, for different reasons. They, and we, are accepting the president's final temper tantrum, as we have accepted every single one of them since his inauguration, and before.

Yes. This IS who we are. We are us and them, and those people, and we are right and everyone else is wrong and the only way to move forward is to make sure this never happens again!

How do we do that, when we can't even agree on what 'this' is, this thing from which we need protection? How do we do that, when collectively we look at the exact same thing, and I see a giraffe and you see a zebra and someone else sees a warthog and someone else a flamingo and yet another person sees a poison dart frog? And I know I'm right - it's a damn giraffe. 

Everything we saw and heard on Wednesday, and everything we've heard since then, is exactly who we are. 

Nothing will change unless we agree on that.

Poll Watch: Corporate Political Speech

Earlier this month, Robert Unanue, the head of Goya Foods, attended a Trump Rose Garden ceremony launching the Hispanic Prosperity Initiative.

I suspect more people know his name now than ever before, given what he said and the reaction to it. I've added emphasis on the sound bite that got him into hot water. 

Today, it gives me great honor — and, by the way, we’re all truly blessed at the same time to have a leader like President Trump who is a builder.  And that’s what my grandfather did: He came to this country to build, to grow, to prosper.  And so we have an incredible builder, and we pray — we pray for our leadership, our President, and we pray for our country that we will continue to prosper and to grow.

The reactions were as expected: multiple calls for boycotting from the left, with regular folks and political folks and celebrities all on board. Unanue and others called that 'cancel culture.'

Similarly, regular folks and political folks and celebrities on the right were equally on board with support for the company, Hatch Act be damned.

And prior calls for boycotts from the right be damned as well - I mean, that was then, and athletes, and this is now, and Trump.

I tossed a six-question survey up on Facebook looking for opinions on the influence of corporate political speech, if any, on people's buying choices: were they boycotters, joiners, or not swayed by this stuff? How long would they stay away from a company? And what contributes to their decision-making process?

I loosely defined 'corporate political speech', as comments and statements from executives, brand spokespeople, or from the company itself; advertising which supported or opposed a candidate, a political party, policy positions, and so on. Rather than pinning it down firmly, I followed the SCOTUS theory: some of this stuff, you simply know it when you see it.

There weren't a ton of responses, which didn't surprise me; I have a lot of vocal friends and we have some strongly opinionated conversations in person and online, but actually taking a survey? That's a 'meh' much of the time, and that's OK. Here's what I found out from the folks who did.

I asked whether people had stopped doing business with a company, started doing business with a company, or decided to never do business with a company because of corporate political speech.

• 63% of respondents said they have stopped being a customer,
• 26% said that they have become a customer, and
• 68% have chosen never to do business with a company because of political speech.

I also asked if there were any circumstances under which a person would go back to being a customer of a company they had boycotted. While 21% of respondents would not boycott in the first place, 

• 31.5% would not go back under any circumstances;
• another 31.5% would, but only if they were unable to find a comparable product elsewhere; and
• 16% would go back if the company issued an apology. 

I wanted to know what issues people found important in making the decision to begin patronizing, continue patronizing, or not patronize a company, and asked that respondents rank some hot-button issues in order of importance to them.

While LGBTQ issues are the most important based on overall ranking, the single most important thing playing into the decision-making process is the consumer's or the company's support of a politician or a political party.

The final question - a 'choose all that apply' - asked which factors might influence a respondent's decision to support - or boycott - a company that others are boycotting.

• 58% said news media articles or posts;
• 42% said their own political position/party affiliation;
• 42% said discussions, including on social media, with friends/family; 
• 21% said something else would be involved; and
• only 5% said social media posts.

I was pleased with the distinction between news articles and generic social media posts; I'm glad my friends are still paying attention to news, instead of just what will get clicks on social media. And, I'm also pleased that discussions, and sharing ideas, matter.

How would you answer the questions? And how do these results compare to what folks in your circle would say?

Like Deja Vu All Over Again

Today the president spoke at the United Nations for the second time. You might be wondering how different today's speech was from the one he made last year. 

Fear not, I've got you covered. Excerpts from 2017 will be in italics; excerpts from today's message will appear in normal font. Last year, he started out by telling the world how great he was.

Fortunately the United States has done very well since Election Day last November 8th. The stock market is at an all-time high -- a record. Unemployment is at its lowest level in 16 years, and because of our regulatory and other reforms, we have more people working in the United States than ever before. Companies are moving back, creating job growth the likes of which our country has not seen in a very long time. And it has just been announced that we will be spending almost $700 billion on our military and defense. Our military will soon be the strongest it's ever been.

This year was no different. Well, after the laughter, that is, when Trump proclaimed his accomplishments in less than two years to be greater than almost any administration in the history of America, it was no different.

America's economy is booming like never before. Since my election we have added $10 trillion in wealth. The stock market is at an all-time high in history, and jobless claims are at a 50-year ow. African-American, Hispanic-American and Asian-American unemployment have all achieved their lowest levels ever recorded. We have added more than 4 million new jobs, including half a million manufacturing jobs. We have started the construction of a major border wall and we have greatly strengthened border security. We have secured record funding for our military, $700 billion this year and $716 billion next year. Our military will soon be more powerful than it has ever been before. In other words, the United States is stronger, safer and a richer country than it was when I assumed office less than two years ago. 

Surely, his strictly American accomplishments were bigly meaningful for the rest of the world, right? He might have struck a more welcome tone with his chants of sovereignty.

We do not expect diverse countries to share the same cultures, traditions, or even systems of government. But we do expect all nations to uphold these two core sovereign duties: to respect the interests of their own people and the rights of every other sovereign nation. This is the beautiful vision of this institution, and this is the foundation for cooperation and success.

Strong, sovereign nations let diverse countries with different values, different cultures, and different dreams not just coexist but work side by side on the basis of mutual respect.

Strong, sovereign nations let their people take ownership of the future and control their own destiny. And strong sovereign nations allow individuals to flourish in the fullness of the life intended by God.  

Each of us here today is the emissary of a distinct culture, a rich history and a people bound together by ties of memory, tradition and the values that make our homelands like nowhere else on Earth.

That is why America will always choose independence and cooperation over global governance, control and domination. I honor the right of every nation in this room to pursue its own customs, beliefs and traditions. The United States will not tell you how to live or work or worship. We only ask that you honor our sovereignty in return.

Doing your fair share is another Trumpian theme, and one that he touched on last year as well as today.

The United States is one of of 193 countries in the United Nations and yet we pay 22 percent of the entire budget and more. in fact, we pay far more than anybody realizes. The United States bears an unfair cost burden, but to be fair, if it could actually accomplish all of its stated goals,especially the goal of peace, this investment would easily be worth it.

Major portions of the world are in conflict and some, in fact, are going to hell. 

I don't like much about the president, but that's a truly classic line, in fact.

The American people hope that one day soon the United Nations can be a much more accountable and effective advocate for human dignity and freedom around the world. In the meantime, we believe that no nation should have to bear a disproportionate share of the burden, militarily or financially. 

Now, remember that he started this year by saying how rich we are and all, which makes this next part kind of funny.

The United States is the world's largest giver in the world by far of foreign aid. But few give anything to us. That is why we are are taking a hard look at US foreign assistance... 

Um, what exactly do we need in terms of foreign aid, anyway?

We will examine what's working, what is not working, and whether the countries that receive our dollars and our protection also have our interests at heart. Moving forward, we will only give foreign aid to those who respect us, and frankly are our friends. We expect other countries to pay their fair share for the cost of their defense.

 And in closing,

The true question for the United Nations today, for people all over the world who hope for better lives for themselves and their children, is a basic one: Are we still patriots? Do we love our nations enough to protect their sovereignty and to take ownership of their futures? Do we revere them enough to defend their interests, preserve their cultures, and ensure a peaceful world for their citizens?

So let this be our mission, and let this be our message to the world: we will fight together, sacrifice together, and stand together for peace, for freedom, for justice, for family, for humanity, and for the almighty God who made us all. 

Thank you. God bless you. God bless the nations of the world. And God bless the United States of America. Thank you very much. 

And this year?

Together, let us choose a future of patriotism, prosperity and pride. Let us choose peace and freedom over domination and defeat. Let us come here to this place to stand for our people and our nations.  Forever strong, forever sovereign, forever just.

Forever thankful for the grace and the goodness and the glory of God. Thank you. God bless you, and God bless the nations of the world. Thank you very much. 

Wondering on Wednesday (v117)

Oh wow -- Wednesday again, already?

Tonight I'm wondering about words, lots of words, different words...

I'm wondering, for example,  if anyone I know has gotten a copy of  Fire and Fury, the Michael Wolff book yet. I'm hoping someone has, so I can get a first-hand report from a trusted source. How full of errors is it, really? Can any of it be relied upon as true? 

What else did Sloppy Steve say, other than the one quote we've heard a couple hundred times so far, about Little Donny Trump Manafort having a traitorous meeting in Trump Tower? And I wonder, was what he said worth what he lost?

Speaking of books, my husband got the Alec-Baldwin-as-Donald-Trump book, You Can't Spell America Without Me, which I might read before he does. I mean, how bad can this one be, when it gives us stuff like this?

I have the best words, beautiful words, as everybody has been talking about and talking about for a long time. Also? The best sentences and, what do you call them, paragraphs? My previous books were great and sold extremely, unbelievably well - even he ones by dishonest, disgusting so-called journalists. But those writers don't understand Trump, because quite frankly they were major losers.

Baldwin Trump might have beautiful words, but I think the ones that might be more worth reading that his, and certainly than Wolff's, are the ones that Glenn Simpson, the Fusion GPS guy, gave in his testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee. The transcript was leaked by Senator Dianne Feinstein, who said in a statement

After speaking with majority and minority committee staff for 10 hours, Glenn Simpson requested the transcript of his interview be released publicly. The American people deserve the opportunity to see what he said and judge for themselves. The innuendo and misinformation circulating about the transcript are part of a deeply troubling effort to undermine the investigation into potential collusion and obstruction of justice. The only way to set the record straight is to make the transcript public. 

Fusion GPS was the group that hired former British Intelligence Officer Christopher Steele, who assembled the Trump Dossier, which is at the heart of at least some aspect of some investigation of what Russia may or may not have done to interfere with the election.

Steele was referred for criminal investigation to the Justice Department by two Republican senators on the Judiciary Committee, who are now in a snit that the transcript was leaked. Where the hell,  I wonder, is all of this leading? And who, I wonder, is going to end up winning?

Winning is always a great segue to Trump, isn't it? Today, the president threatened (again) to do something about people who say and publish things that are not true.

We are going to take a strong look at our country's libel laws, so that when somebody says something that is false and defamatory about someone, that person will have meaningful recourse in our courts.

Our current libel laws are a sham and a disgrace and do not represent American values or American fairness.

 We want fairness. Can't say things that are false, knowingly false, and be able to smile as money pours into your bank account. We are going to take a very, very strong look at that, and I think what the American people want to see is fairness.

I have to wonder, if the American people wanted 'fairness' would they have elected Trump? And similarly, if American values are misrepresented by false and defamatory statements, would the American people have elected Trump?

Finally, to end on a happy note, I wonder if the people at Trader Joe's knew all along that so many of their product names could be sung to the tune of Eleanor Rigby?  Here are a few examples that  a keen-eyed (keen-eared?) Twitter user, @DanSpenser noticed last fall.

• Harvest whole wheat bread
• Mini beef tacos
• Super burrito
• Pita bite crackers
• Three seed beet crackers

There are more - Spenser has added to the collection this week -- and, like everyone else who's read the tweets, I can't stop singing.

And, I can't stop wondering, who is the face that she keeps in a jar by the door for?

Sidebar: Merry Christmas, Boy Scouts

You know, it must be horrible to be American Legion Boys and Girls Nation attendees. I mean, they go to Washington, they go to the White House, they get to meet the president, and all they get is a couple of silly pictures.

I mean, what's the point of that?  How different things were on July 26th for that group, than for the Boy Scout Jamboree just two days earlier!

The Boy Scouts get some juicy gossip and innuendo about a rich dude on a yacht in the south of France, and the American Legion gets Ronald Reagan and the Berlin Wall.

What a ripoff.

Here's the boring speech Trump gave, which you can compare to the fulsome one he delivered to the Scouts. I've added emphasis in bold.

The American Legion has held this meeting for seven decades.  Just think of the history that has occurred during that time.  When the first group of students met in 1946 -- oh, that’s an important day, you know why?  That’s when I was born.  (Laughter.)  I hate to admit it.  (Applause.)  I hate to admit it.  Oh, 1946.  Oh wow.  I shouldn’t have said that, Bob.  (Laughter.)  

Our nation had just welcomed home our brave heroes whose spirit and courage achieved victory over tyranny in World War II.  Just over twenty years later, young men and women like you watched a man land on the moon and dreamed of new frontiers in space.

In 1987, Americans all across this nation joined their hearts with President Ronald Reagan in the hope, the prayer, and the conviction that the Berlin Wall would crumble in the face of truths, justice, and freedom.  You know all about that.

AUDIENCE:  Yes, sir.

In each of these moments, and so many others, America triumphed.  We win.  We know how to win, right?  

AUDIENCE:  Yes!  (Applause.) 

And we win because of the spirit of our people.   Believe me, that's a big part of it.

Just think of the amazing moments in history you will witness during your lifetime.  Well, you saw one on November 8th, right?  (Applause.)  That was a pretty amazing moment we have -- and we're doing a good job.  Our country is doing so well now.  We're doing a good job.  You all happy?

AUDIENCE:  Yes!  (Applause.) 

Because you have what it takes to be the leaders that will shape this future.  Some of you may want to come back to the capital -- someday, you're going to be back, many of you -- and help make the laws that will guide this nation and govern our land.

Others may choose to answer the call of duty, put on the uniform, and risk everything for our nation and for our nation’s people.  Still others may become business leaders, teachers, artists, and inventors.   We have them all, and we have them all here today.  

And some of you don't even really know what it might be, but we have people that are going to be so successful, so incredible in their lives.  And you're going to be happy.  Do what you love.  Do what you love.  Follow what you love.

So I want to just tell -- as you pour your whole heart into everything you do, really you're doing it for your family, you're doing it for your country, but you're also doing it for yourselves.  Because ultimately you have to do it for yourself.  It’s better for your country, and your country wants you to succeed so much.

But there’s no country like the United States of America, and there’s no country that can give you the kind of opportunity that we give you in the United States. (Applause.) 

Being successful is about finding your purpose in life and never ever giving up.  Do you ever give up?  No.  Does anybody here give up?

AUDIENCE:  No, sir!  

What about here?

AUDIENCE:  No, sir!

You're right.  (Laughter.)  And I think they mean it.  I think they mean it.

A PARTICIPANT:  Yes, sir, they mean it.

You were chosen for this program because you believe in America’s future and because you have the ambition and the heart to ensure that America will always be victorious and will always prevail.

Through Boys and Girls Nation, you are learning the values that are necessary for a nation to endure and for a nation to thrive -- pride in our history, loyalty to our citizens, and allegiance to our great American flag.

In the decades to come you will help our nation reach new heights -- we’ll be so proud of you -- discover new frontiers, and strengthen the bonds of loyalty between our country and its people.

It is my honor to meet with you all today, and it was my greater honor to come out here early before the press got here to take all of those pictures that we took, and I hope they send you the right pictures.  (Laughter and applause.)  And they will.

As I look out at the audience, I see the next generation of American leaders. I see the promise of our future. I see the strength and love of the American spirit. And because of young people like you, I am more confident than ever in the future of the United States.

Together, we will make America greater than ever before.  I mean that.  We're going to make America greater than ever before, and we're on our way.  You see what’s going on.  We're building up military.  We're getting great job numbers -- best in 17 years.  Best job numbers in 17 years.  The enthusiasm for manufacturers and business is at just about the highest point since they started taking those tests.

So I just want to tell you: Go out there. Go get them. I have no doubt you're going to -- every one of you -- be successful.  

Never quit.  Never give up.  Always do what you love.  Take great care of your family and your parents because we love your parents.  You probably wouldn’t be here without your parents, right?  (Laughter and applause.) 

So thank you again to the American Legion, and congratulations to you all.  God bless you, and God bless America.  And thank you for being at the White House.   (Applause.) 

(A song is performed.)

AUDIENCE:  USA! USA! USA!

You got the last word.  (Applause.)  Thank you, Bob.  Thank you everybody.  Have a great life and love your country and love your God.  Okay?  Bye everybody.  Bye everybody.  Thank you.  (Applause.) 

Bye, everybody.

Merry Christmas, Boy Scouts

Unedited, but with some emphasis added, the honorary president of the Boy Scouts of America addresses his troops (as shared by the White House press office). 

6:32 PM

Thank you, everybody. Thank you very much. (Applause.) I am thrilled to be here. Thrilled.(Applause.) And if you think that was an easy trip, you’re wrong, but I am thrilled -- 19th Boy Scout Jamboree -- wow -- and to address such a tremendous group.  Boy, you have a lot of people here. The press will say it’s about 200 people. (Laughter.) It looks like about 45,000 people. You set a record today. (Applause.) You set a record. That’s a great honor, believe me.  

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. (Applause.) 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? (Applause.)  

There are many great honors that come with the job of being President of the United States, but looking out at this incredible gathering of mostly young patriots -- mostly young -- I’m especially proud to speak to you as the honorary President of the Boy Scouts of America. (Applause.)  

AUDIENCE:  USA!  USA!  USA!

You are the young people of character and integrity who will serve as leaders in our communities, and uphold the sacred values of our nation.

I want to thank Boy Scouts President Randall Stephenson, Chief Scout Executive Michael Surbaugh, Jamboree Chairman Ralph de la Vega, and the thousands of volunteers who have made this a life-changing experience for all of you, and when they asked me to be here I said absolutely, yes. (Applause.)  

Finally, and we can’t forget these people, I especially want to salute the moms and the dads and troop leaders who are here tonight. (Applause.) Thank you for making scouting possible. Thank you, mom and dad -- troop leaders.  

When you volunteer for the Boy Scouts, you are not only shaping young lives, you are shaping the future of America. (Applause.) The United States has no better citizens than its Boy Scouts. (Applause.) No better. 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. (Applause.) The Scouts believe in putting America first.(Applause.)  

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. But it’s not good. Not good. (Applause.) And I see what’s going on, and believe me I’d much rather be with you.  That I can tell you. (Applause.)

I’ll tell you the reason that I love this and the reason that I really wanted to be here is because as President, I rely on former Boy Scouts every single day, and so do the American people. It’s amazing how many Boy Scouts we have at the highest level of our great government. Many of my top advisors in the White House were Scouts. Ten members of my cabinet were Scouts. Can you believe that? Ten. (Applause.)  

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is not only a Boy Scout, he’s your former national president. (Applause.)  

The Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence -- good guy -- was a Scout, and it meant so much to him. (Applause.) Some of you here tonight might even have camped out in this yard when Mike was the governor of Indiana, but the scouting was very, very important. And by the way, where are our Indiana Scouts tonight? (Applause.) I wonder if the television cameras will follow you. They don’t like doing that when they see these massive crowds. They don’t like doing that. Hi, folks. (Applause.) A lot of love in this big, beautiful place. A lot of love, and a lot of love for our country. There’s a lot of love for our country.  

Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke is here tonight. Come here, Ryan. (Applause.) Ryan is an Eagle Scout from Big Sky Country in Montana. (Applause.) Pretty good. And by the way, he is doing a fantastic job. He makes sure that we leave our national parks and federal lands better than we found them, in the best Scouting tradition. So thank you very much, Ryan. (Applause.) 

Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, of Texas, an Eagle Scout from the Great State. (Applause.)  The first time he came to the national jamboree was in 1964. He was very young then. And Rick told me just a little while ago, it totally changed his life. So, Rick, thank you very much for being here. And we're doing a lot with energy. (Applause.) 

And very soon, Rick, we will be an energy exporter. Isn’t that nice -- an energy exporter? (Applause.) In other words we’ll be selling our energy instead of buying it from everybody all over the globe. So that's good. (Applause.) We will be energy dominant. And I’ll tell you what, the folks in West Virginia who were so nice to me, boy, have we kept our promise. We are going on and on.  So we love West Virginia. We want to thank you.  

Where’s West Virginia by the way? (Applause.) Thank you.  

Secretary Tom Price is also here. Today Dr. Price still lives the Scout Oath, helping to keep millions of Americans strong and healthy as our Secretary of Health and Human Services. And he’s doing a great job. And hopefully, he’s going to get the votes tomorrow to start our path toward killing this horrible thing known as Obamacare that's really hurting us, folks. (Applause.)  

AUDIENCE:  USA!  USA!  USA!

By the way, you going to get the votes? He better get them. He better get them. Oh, he better -- otherwise, I’ll say, Tom, you're fired. I’ll get somebody. (Applause.) 

He better get Senator Capito to vote for it. You got to get the other senators to vote for it. It’s time. After seven years of saying repeal and replace Obamacare, we have a chance to now do it. They better do it. Hopefully they’ll do it. 

As we can see just by looking at our government, in America, Scouts lead the way. And another thing I’ve noticed -- and I’ve noticed it all my life -- there is a tremendous spirit with being a Scout, more so than almost anything I can think of. So whatever is going on, keep doing it. It’s incredible to watch. Believe me. (Applause.)  

Each of these leaders will tell you that 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 as traditions they learned in the Boy Scouts. And some day, many years from now, when you look back on all of the adventures in your lives, you will be able to say the same: I got my start as a Scout just like these incredibly great people that are doing such a good job for our country. So that's going to happen.  (Applause.) 

Boy Scout values are American values, and great Boy Scouts become great, great Americans. As the Scout Law says: “A Scout is trustworthy, loyal” -- we could use some more loyalty, I will tell you that.  

AUDIENCE:  “helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.”  (Applause.)

That was very impressive. (Laughter.) You've heard that before.  

But here you learn the rewards of hard work and perseverance. Never ever give up, never quit. Persevere. Never, ever quit.

You learn the satisfaction of building a roaring campfire, reaching a mountain summit, or earning a merit badge after mastering a certain skill. There’s no better feeling than an achievement that you’ve earned with your own sweat, tears, resolve, hard work. There’s nothing like it.  Do you agree with that?  

AUDIENCE:  Yes!

I’m waving to people back there so small I can't even see them. Man, this is a lot of people. Turn those cameras back there, please. That is so incredible.By the way, what do you think the chances are that this incredible, massive crowd, record-setting is going to be shown on television tonight? One percent or zero? (Applause.)

The fake media will say: President Trump -- and you know what this is -- President Trump spoke before a small crowd of Boy Scouts today.

That's some -- that is some crowd. (Applause.)  

Fake media. Fake news. Thank you. And I’m honored by that, by the way, all of you people they can't even see you. So thank you  I hope you can hear. 

Through scouting you also learn to believe in yourselves -- so important -- to have confidence in your ability, and to take responsibility for your own life. When you face down new challenges, and you will have plenty of them, develop talents you never thought possible, and lead your teammates through daring trials, you discover that you can handle anything. And you learn it by being a scout. It’s great. (Applause.) 

You can do anything. You can be anything you want to be. But in order to succeed, you must find out what you love to do. You have to find your passion. No matter what they tell you -- if you don't -- I love you, too. I don't know. It’s a nice guy. (Applause.) Hey, what am I going to do? He sounds like a nice person. He, he, he, he. Thank you. I do.  I do love you.  

AUDIENCE:  We love Trump!  We love Trump!  We love Trump!

By the way, just a question, did President Obama ever come to a jamboree?  

AUDIENCE:  No!  

And we’ll be back. We’ll be back. The answer is no, but we’ll be back.

In life, in order to be successful, and you people are well on the road to success, you have to find out what makes you excited. What makes you want to get up each morning and go to work? You have to find it.

If you love what you do and dedicate yourself to your work, then you will gain momentum, and look -- you have to, you need to. The word momentum -- you will gain that momentum, and each success will create another success. The word momentum.  

I’ll tell you a story that’s very interesting for me when I was young. There was a man named William Levitt -- Levittowns, you have some here, you have some in different states. Anybody ever hear of Levittown? (Applause.) And he was a very successful man. He was a homebuilder -- became an unbelievable success, and got more and more successful. And he built homes, and at night he’d go to these major sites with teams of people and he’d scour the sites for nails and sawdust and small pieces of wood. And they’d clean the site so when the workers came in the next morning, the sites would be spotless and clean, and he did it properly. And he did this for 20 years, and then he was offered a lot of money for his company.  

And he sold his company for a tremendous amount of money. At the time especially -- this was a long time ago -- sold his company for a tremendous amount of money. And he went out and bought a big yacht, and he had a very interesting life. I won’t go any more than that because you’re Boy Scouts, so I’m not going to tell you what he did.

AUDIENCE:  Booo -- 

 Should I tell you? Should I tell you?  

AUDIENCE:  Yes!

Oh, you’re Boy Scouts, but you know life. You know life. So -- look at you. Who would think this is the Boy Scouts, right?  

So he had a very, very interesting life, and the company that bought his company was a big conglomerate. And they didn’t know anything about building homes, and they didn’t know anything about picking up the nails and the sawdust and selling it -- and the scraps of wood. This was a big conglomerate based in New York City, and after about a ten year period they were losing a lot with it. It didn’t mean anything to them, and they couldn’t sell it.  

So they called William Levitt up and they said, would you like to buy back your company, and he said yes, I would. He so badly wanted it, he got bored with this life of yachts and sailing and all of the things he did in the south of France and other places. You won’t get bored, right?  You know, truthfully, you’re workers. You’ll get bored too. Believe me. (Applause.) Of course, having a good few years like that isn’t so bad. (Applause.) But what happened is he bought back his company, and he bought back a lot of empty land. And he worked hard in getting it zoning, and he worked hard on starting to develop.  

And in the end he failed, and he failed badly. Lost all of his money. He went personally bankrupt, and he was now much older. And I saw him at a cocktail party, and it was very sad because the hottest people in New York were at this party.  it was the party of Steve Ross who was one of the great people -- he came up and discovered -- really founded -- Time Warner, and he was a great guy. He had a lot of successful people at the party. 
 
And I was doing well so I got invited to the party. I was very young, and I go in -- but I’m in the real estate business -- and I see 100 people, some of whom I recognize and they’re big in the entertainment business. And I see, sitting in the corner, was a little old man who was all by himself. Nobody was talking to him. I immediately recognized that that man was the once great William Levitt of Levittown, and I immediately went over -- I wanted to talk to him more than the Hollywood show business communications people.  

So I went over and talked to him, and I said, Mr. Levitt, I’m Donald Trump. He said I know. I said, Mr. Levitt, how are you doing? He goes, not well, not well at all. And I knew that, but he said not well at all. And he explained what was happening and how bad it has been and how hard it has been. And I said what exactly happened?  Why did this happen to you? You’re one of the greats ever in our industry. Why did this happen to you? And he said, Donald, I lost my momentum. I lost my momentum. A word you never hear when you’re talking about success. When some of these guys that never made ten cents, they’re on television giving you things about how you’re going to be successful, and the only thing they ever did was a book and a tape. 

But I’ll tell you, it was very sad, and I never forgot that moment. And I thought about it, and it’s exactly true. He lost his momentum. Meaning, he took this period of time off long -- years -- and then when he got back, he didn’t have that same momentum. In life, I always tell this to people, you have to know whether or not you continue to have the momentum, and if you don’t have it that’s okay. Because you’re going to go on and you’re going to learn and you’re going to do things that are great. But you have to know about the word momentum.  

But the big thing: Never quit. Never give up. Do something you love. When you do something you love -- as a Scout I see that you love it. But when you do something that you love you’ll never fail. What you’re going to do is give it a shot again and again and again. You’re ultimately going to be successful, and remember this, you’re not working. Because when you’re doing something that you love like I do -- of course I love my business, but this is a little bit different. Who thought this was going to happen? We’re having a good time. We’re doing a good job. (Applause.) Doing a good job. But when you do something that you love, remember this, it’s not work. 

So you’ll work 24/7, you’re going to work all the time, and at the end of a year you’re not really working. You don’t think of it as work. When you’re not doing something that you like or when you’re forced in to do something that you really don’t like, that’s called work. And it’s hard work and tedious work.  

So as much as you can, do something that you love. Work hard, and never ever give up, and you’re going to be tremendously successful. Tremendously successful. (Applause.) 

Now with that, I have to tell you our economy is doing great. Our stock market has picked up -- since the election November 8th. Do we remember that date? (Applause.) Was that a beautiful date? (Applause.) What a date. Do you remember that famous night on television, November 8th, where they said -- these dishonest people -- where they said there is no path to victory for Donald Trump? They forgot about the forgotten people. By the way, they're not forgetting about the forgotten people anymore. They're going crazy trying to figure it out. But I told them, far too late. It’s far too late.

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 didn't know what to say?  (Applause.) 

And you know we have a tremendous disadvantage in the Electoral College -- popular vote is much easier. Because New York, California, Illinois -- you have to practically run the East Coast. And we did. We won Florida. We won South Carolina. We won North Carolina. We won Pennsylvania.  (Applause.)  

We won and won. So when they said, there is no way to victory, there is no way to 270.  I went to Maine four times because it’s one vote, and we won. But we won -- one vote.  I went there because I kept hearing we're at 269. But then Wisconsin came in.  Many, many years -- Michigan came in.  

And we worked hard there. My opponent didn't work hard there because she was told -

AUDIENCE:  Booo!

She was told she was going to win Michigan, and I said, well, wait a minute, the car industry is moving to Mexico. Why is she going to move -- she’s there. Why are they allowing it to move?

And by the way, do you see those car industry -- do you see what’s happening, how they're coming back to Michigan? They're coming back to Ohio. They're starting to peel back in. (Applause.) 

And we go to Wisconsin -- now, Wisconsin hadn’t been won in many, many years by a Republican. But we go to Wisconsin, and we had tremendous crowds. And I’d leave these massive crowds. I’d say, why are we going to lose this state?

The polls -- that's also fake news. They're fake polls. But the polls are saying -- but we won Wisconsin. (Applause.) So I have to tell you what we did, in all fairness, is an unbelievable tribute to you and all of the other millions and millions of people that came out and voted for Make America Great Again. (Applause.) 

AUDIENCE:  USA!  USA!  USA!

And I’ll tell you what, we are, indeed, making America great again. What’s going on is incredible. (Applause.) 

We had the best jobs report in 16 years. The stock market on a daily basis is hitting an all-time high. We're going to be bringing back very soon trillions of dollars from companies that can't get their money back into this country, and that money is going to be used to help rebuild America. We're doing things that nobody ever thought was possible.

And we've just started. It’s just the beginning. Believe me. (Applause.) 

In the Boy Scouts you learn right from wrong, correct?  

AUDIENCE:  Yes!

You learn to contribute to your communities, to take pride in your nation, and to seek out opportunities to serve. You pledge to help other people at all times. (Applause.) 

In the Scout Oath, you pledge on your honor to do your best and to do your duty to God and your country. (Applause.) 

And by the way, under the Trump administration, you’ll be saying, merry Christmas again when you go shopping. Believe me. Merry Christmas. (Applause.) 

They've been downplaying that little, beautiful phrase. You're going to be saying, merry Christmas again, folks. (Applause.) 

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  (Applause.) 

For more than a century that is exactly what our Boy Scouts have been. Last year you gave more than 15 million hours of service to helping people in your communities. (Applause.) 

Incredible. That's an incredible stat.  

All of you here tonight will contribute more than 100,000 hours of service by the end of this jamboree -- 100,000. (Applause.) 

When natural disaster strikes, when people face hardship, when the beauty and glory of our outdoor spaces must be restored and taken care of, America turns to the Boy Scouts because we know that the Boy Scouts never, ever, ever let us down. (Applause.) 

Just like you know you can count on me, we know we can count on you because we know the values that you live by. (Applause.) 

Your values are the same values that have always kept America strong, proud, and free. And by the way, do you see the billions and billions and billions of additional money that we're putting back into our military?  Billions of dollars. (Applause.) New planes, new ships, great equipment for our people that are so great to us. We love our vets.  We love our soldiers. And we love our police, by the way. Firemen, police -- we love our police. (Applause.)  Those are all special people. Uniformed services. 

Two days ago, I traveled to Norfolk, Virginia to commission an American aircraft carrier into the fleet of the United States Navy. (Applause.) It’s the newest, largest, and most advanced aircraft carrier anywhere in the world, and it’s named for an Eagle Scout, the USS Gerald R. Ford. (Applause.) Everywhere it sails, that great Scout’s name will be feared and revered, because that ship will be a symbol of American power, prestige, and strength. (Applause.) 

Our nation honors President Gerald R. Ford today because he lived his life the scouting way. Boy Scouts celebrate American patriots, especially the brave members of our armed forces. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. (Applause.) 

American hearts are warmed every year when we read about Boy Scouts placing thousands and thousands of flags next to veterans’ gravesites all across the country. By honoring our heroes, you help to ensure that their memory never, ever dies. You should take great pride in the example you set for every citizen of our country to follow. (Applause.) 

Generations of American Boy Scouts have sworn the same oath and lived according to same law. You inherit a noble American tradition, and as you embark on your lives, never cease to be proud of who you are and the principles you hold dear and stand by.  Wear your values as your badge of honor. What you've done, few have done before you. What you've done is incredible. What you've done is admired by all. So I want to congratulate you, Boy Scouts. (Applause.) 

Let your scouting oath guide your path from this day forward. Remember your duty. Honor your history. Take care of the people God put into your life, and love and cherish your great country. (Applause.) 

You are very special people. You're special in the lives of America. You're special to me. But if you do what we say, I promise you that you will live scouting’s adventure every single day of your life, and you will win, win, win and help people in doing so. (Applause.) 

Your lives will have meaning and purpose and joy. You will become leaders, and you will inspire others to achieve the dreams they once thought were totally impossible, things that you said could never, ever happen are already happening for you. And if you do these things -- and if you refuse to give in to doubt or to fear -- then you will help to make America great again. You will be proud of yourself, be proud of the uniform you wear, and be proud of the country you love. (Applause.) 

AUDIENCE:  USA!  USA!  USA!

And never, ever forget, America is proud of you. (Applause.) 

This is a very, very special occasion for me. I’ve known so many Scouts over the years. Winners. I’ve known so many great people. They've been taught so well, and they love their heritage. But this is very special for me. And I just want to end by saying very importantly: God bless you. God bless the Boy Scouts. God bless the United States of America.  

Go out. Have a great time in life. Compete and go out and show me that there is nobody -- nobody -- like a Boy Scout.

Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much. (Applause.) 

END
7:10 P.M. EDT