Story highlights The former House speaker said that his hopes for tax reform had dimmed

John Boehner also downplayed concerns over the Russia scandal

(CNN) Former House Speaker John Boehner gave President Donald Trump's young presidency low marks at an event Wednesday, saying that other than getting the House to pass a health care bill, "everything else he's done has been a complete disaster."

"He's still learning how to be president," Boehner said during an appearance as the keynote speaker for the KPMG Global Energy Conference, according to a recap from RigZone.com

Boehner also said that his hopes for tax reform had dimmed, calling the preliminary discussions that are going on "just a bunch of happy talk."

"I was a little more optimistic about it early in the year; now my odds are 60/40 ... The border adjustment tax is deader than a doornail," he said, referencing a controversial plank of the tax plan currently being sketched by House GOP leaders.

As for the House successfully passing a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare, Boehner sounded unimpressed. He acknowledged Trump "did what he could," but the former House speaker said he would have looked to "repair" to law instead.

Read More