The Boy Scouts’
chief apologizes to everyone who was offended by President Trump’s speech.
NEW YORK — The Boy Scouts’ chief executive apologized Thursday to members of the Scouting community who were offended by the political rhetoric in President Donald Trump’s speech at the organization’s national jamboree.
The apology came in a statement from Chief Scout Executive Michael Surbaugh, three days after Trump’s speech to nearly 40,000 Scouts and adults gathered in Glen Jean, W.Va.
Other presidents have delivered nonpolitical speeches at past jamborees.
To the dismay of many parents and former Scouts, Trump promoted his GOP political agenda and derided his rivals, inducing some of the Scouts in attendance to boo at the mention of former opponent Hillary Clinton and his predecessor, Barack Obama.
“I want to extend my sincere apologies to those in our Scouting family who were offended by the political rhetoric that was inserted into the jamboree,” Surbaugh said. “That was never our intent.We sincerely regret that politics were inserted into the Scouting program.”
Surbaugh noted that every sitting president since 1937 has been invited to visit the jamboree.
“It is in no way an endorsement of any person, party or policies,” he said.
Randall Stephenson, the Boy Scouts’ president, on Wednesday had said that leaders issued guidelines to adult staff members for how the audience should react to the speech, but that those were not all followed.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked about the Scouts’ statement and whether Trump owes them an apology. Sanders said that she hadn’t seen anything inappropriate.
“I saw nothing but roughly 40-45,000 Boy Scouts cheering the president on,” she said.