Ex-CIA chief: Trump’s Boy Scout speech felt like ‘third world authoritarian’s youth rally’

A former acting CIA director is comparing President Trump’s speech at the Boy Scouts of America National Jamboree on Monday to a youth rally in an authoritarian country. 

John McLaughlin, acting director of the CIA under George Bush, tweeted late Monday that the rally “had the feel of a third world authoritarian’s youth rally.” 

Trump’s Boy Scout speech had the feel of a third world authoritarian’s youth rally.

— john mclaughlin (@jmclaughlinSAIS) July 25, 2017

Trump delivered a heavily political address as he spoke in front of a crowd of about 35,000, at one point joking he would fire Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price if the GOP failed to pass an ObamaCare repeal bill Tuesday. His speech also mentioned cocktail parties in New York City and meeting his hero, real estate developer William Levitt.

{mosads}The crowd appeared to boo former President Obama at one point. Obama had never spoken at the annual event in person, but he recorded a message for the 2010 jamboree as it was the organization’s 100-year anniversary.

Trump has never been a boy scout, but event organizers said they invited him to speak at the event because it is a tradition for them to invite the president. 

“The invitation for the sitting U.S. President to visit the National Jamboree is a long-standing tradition and is in no way an endorsement of any political party or specific policies,” the organization said in a statement.