Bizarre, Politics, Society

Boy Scouts Apologize To Parents For Trump’s Jamboree Speech But White House Declines To Apologize


Many were surprised — and a bit saddened — to hear President Donald Trump give a highly partisan speech at the National Scout Jamboree.  For roughly 80 years, Presidents have avoided political speeches at the event. That tradition was shattered in a big way by Trump on Monday before 40,000 scouts.  Now the Boy Scouts of America has issued a formal apology to all of the parents about the content of Trump’s speech — a stinging rebuke for the President.  The White House responded by refusing to apologize from the departure of 80 years of precedent.

 

Chief Scout Executive Michael Surbaugh told parents “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. That was never our intent.  The invitation for the sitting U.S. president to visit the National Jamboree is a long-standing tradition. … We sincerely regret that politics were inserted into the Scouting program,”
Curiously, Trump himself seemed acknowledge the long-standing bar on political discussions shortly before he proceeded to talk politics:”Who the Hell wants to speak about politics when I’m in front of the Boy Scouts.”
 Trump even used the Boy Scouts loyalty pledge to chastise the politically unreliable in Washington: “We could really use some more loyalty, I will tell you that.”
Surbaugh added “These character-building experiences have not diminished in recent days at the jamboree — Scouts have continued to trade patches, climb rock walls, and share stories about the day’s adventures. But for our Scouting family at home not able to see these real moments of Scouting, we know the past few days have been overshadowed by the remarks offered by the President of the United States. . . . For years, people have called upon us to take a position on political issues, and we have steadfastly remained non-partisan and refused to comment on political matters. We sincerely regret that politics were inserted into the Scouting program.  While we live in a challenging time in a country divided along political lines, the focus of Scouting remains the same today as every day.”
Despite the criticism and Surbaugh’s letter, the White House on Thursday refused to apologize . White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders insisted that “I saw nothing but roughly 40 to 45,000 Boy Scouts cheering the president on throughout his remarks.”
What is interesting is that these two events involve constituencies that have largely supported the President but both Scout leaders and military veterans criticized Trump for his injection of politics into the events.
Some conservatives have called for “true patriots” to sever ties with the Scouts, which seems perfectly bizarre to me.  The tradition of leaving politics out of the Jamboree was a good one that past presidents have not found particularly difficult.  The Scouts want to bring together families around common values and a connection to the outdoors.  It is not about politics and that is a good thing.
What do you think?

145 thoughts on “Boy Scouts Apologize To Parents For Trump’s Jamboree Speech But White House Declines To Apologize”

  1. What I truly wish would happen is that an open letter would be printed in the major newspapers–one penned by the boy scouts, themselves, and signed by hundreds, if not, thousands of members–disagreeing with and denouncing the apology offered by the organization, claiming that it does not mirror their beliefs, values or thoughts. A letter which claims that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and honor to hear the President of the United States, personally, address them and that as boy scouts, who truly believe in the concept of freedom, liberty and the United States of America, that an apology, offered with regard to the President’s opinions, is antithetical to everything to which the Boy Scouts are supposed to support and embody. A letter that goes on to suggest that being a Boy Scouts doesn’t just mean learning how to tie a knot or being prepared. . .it means upholding and supporting the freedoms in this country, including the freedom of the President of the United States to speak his mind and to address the crowd in the manner in which he deemed correct.

    Wouldn’t that be a kick in the teeth?

  2. Let’s not kid ourselves; President Trump could have made a perfectly eloquent Make America Great Again speech deemed appropriate for the Boy Scouts and the anti-Trump folks would still find something to whine and complain about. Apologizing to the parents was pure political pandering.

    These boys will devote themselves to the pursuit of merit badges and along the way they will hopefully develop into young men and the leaders of tomorrow. If the Boy Scout leadership believed so strongly that what these boys endured deserved an apology, then create a merit badge to acknowledge that effort. And then apologize to the parents and boys that totally applauded the remarks from the POTUS. That’s if you truly want to be non-political.

  3. The Boy Scouts need to focus on their pedophile scout leaders.

    Trump Trump bo bump!
    Banana fanna fo fump!
    Fee fi moe Mump!
    Trump!
    – Moe, Larry, Cheese

    Yuk, yuk, yuk uk.

  4. What topics would have pleased the Boy Scouts organization? Ahh, yesss . .Trump was supposed to, instead, talk about the need to sign up more and more confused, warped and mentally ill tranagender scouts, which would bring the diversity that we all crave, not to mention, the necessity to recruit more and more openly gay scout leaders to round out the equation. Nothing less than a complete and total perversion of the once wholesome organization will ever be acceptable. Yes, we would all be reading a different narrative had Trump just stayed on script. The nerve!

  5. I don’t even want to think what was going thru Trump’s mind when he looked at a sea of brownshirts. That would explain his speech.

    1. That would imply that he has any knowledge of the existence of Mussolini, fascism, or even basic history.

      This is to optimistic fish

  6. Invite a guy to speak and tell him what to say. And when he doesn’t and the crowd cheers, then apologize for him. Sounds pretty red, white and blue doesn’t it?

    1. There’s no immunity from criticism. For instance, nobody told Trump what to say (obviously). When will Trumpa-lumpas stop feeling sorry for themselves?

      2. Of course, there’s no immunity from criticism. See my comment. There is irrational criticism based on political correctness and there’s rational criticism based on society’s enduring values which, as I pointed out, the BSA seems not to share or to share only when it’s easy to do so. As for limiting the President’s speech, apparently the BSA is telling him what to say now.

        1. Boy Scouts policy concerning political events is quite clear, and Trump’s speech made it clear that he was aware of it. That policy requires those in BSA uniform to leave (or change) rather than appear to either endorse or oppose a political position while in uniform. Rather than respect the non-partisan goals of an organization he chose to speak to, he apparently agreed to appear but was then disrespectful and encouraged those present to disregard one of the organizations fundamental policies. If he couldn’t think of anything constructive to this group which didn’t involve partisan politics, he should have declined the invitation or retained the services of a competent speech writer to do it for him.

            1. An organization that acts in loco parentis should be allowed to devise rules of conduct for its members. If, however, that organization seek to devise rules of conduct for The President of the United States or any other person who is neither a member nor the parent of a member of that organization, then that organization would be taking the “in loco parentis” construct way far too far.

              That is not what the Boy Scouts of America did when they apologized to the parents of their scouts for President Trump’s address to their children. So they’re still not telling Trump what to say.

  7. What a simpering and craven twerp. The generational shift in Scout leadership is disgusting.

  8. JT continues to show what a psychological pit he lives in . No knowledge is of use when it is contaminated by a low point of view

  9. The Trump blather, lies, and exaggerations do not belong at a Boy Scout Rally. Not being able to see this either explains Trump as the idiot he is, or with an agenda to bring the youth, the really young, into the sewer that is the American political system. Either way, this is not Presidential.

    Regarding comments about allowing Trump to do what he wants to do, he really has little to no idea what to do, has changed course more often than not, and has made his biggest statement barring transponders from the Military, a move even the Military is not putting into effect.

    It’s time to step back and review this idiot. Read his statements. Think for a little while. Please.

  10. If you don’t know who Donald Trump is by now, I guess you’re a slow learner.

  11. I don’t believe the BSA needed to apologize. What control did they actually have? None. But, too many are too quick to become outraged lately over a few paragraphs of speech. It was probably the easiest thing to do to avoid having to suffer the bickering.

  13. Trump has never apologized for anything in his life. Why should this be any different?

  14. This blog at one time was an enjoyable intellectual discussion & debate (and yes, raw arguing) about legal and occasionally highly charged political issues.
    But like an enjoyable piece of fruit it seems to have ripened…
    Then over ripened in the heat,
    Split open, with a bit of mush, perhaps some rot around the edges and started fermenting on its own.

    I have dropped back in on occasion simply to watch the comments as they continue their rapid spiral down into the insipid ad-hominem depths that are completely devoid of anything genuinely worth discussing or intellectual honesty. Simply spewed political vitriol for “them” (and recently the “them” has skewed generally though not exclusively to the “libtard”, liberal, “democrap”, “demoncratic” type comments, similar language has been heaped on any differing pursuasion LGBTQ, different religions such as Islam, facets of the drug war, foreigners or immigrants whether legal or not, and various types of international trade).

    I have seen an unflappable parade of Trump Train cheer leaders who seem to have completely forgotten that yes, competence IS a conservative value!
    That “their president” will succeed at “Making America Great Again”** if everybody would stop stopping him from doing exactly what he wants to do, exactly what he said he would do…
    That he could succeed at running America like a great business-

    Just like he ran Trump Air…
    Just like he ran the Taj Majal in Atlantic City…

    He is incredibly rich and successful you know…. we know that because he says so, and his name’s on lots of stuff (in Gold). and we’ve seen all of his Tax Re….
    Well, we’ve seen some forms he filled out were he said he was really rich… and he SIGNED THEM!

    (**when does this exactly refer to? – when are we trying to go “back” to exactly? If you’re going somewhere it’s nice to have a target, a better one than just “great”)

    I hated Hillary.
    I’m not a Democrat, or a Liberal.
    But I do insist on competence in a President. It’s not a learn as you go kind of position.

    As for Russia…
    I’m not looking for any evidence that anyone was running around colluding or meeting or conspiring in secret or anything like that.

    I’m looking at what America needs to continue to lead in the world,
    Economically,
    Politically,
    Financially,
    Diplomatically,
    And then –
    Militarily…

    And how Putin wants to restablish Soviet style Russian competitiveness with the US (& Europe, China) in those areas.

    The US leads the world economically, not just because of our own economy, but because we lead and dominate free trading blocks that we created (like NAFTA) largely on our terms (which may need some adj, but which by & large still vastly benefit us) and which use banking and financial systems centered in the US (which is critical for the US ability to apply financial & economic SANCTIONS)

    When we withdraw from these trade deals, when we let China or the Euro take the lead in world affairs – AMERICA LOSES. It’s a loss we will not be able to get back by simply getting a new president – it really F’s us up. And Russia moves up a notch, our ability to sanction or hurt Russia diminishes with every trade deal or international deal Trump nixes.

    Russia wants not just a weak US, but a weak Eurozone – so it was tampering and pushing hard for Brexit, and for nationalist movements in Germany & France. A weak Europe, just like a weak NATO – is less able to and less likely to, resist Russian attempts to expand its influence, power and plain theft in the region.
    Trump has advocated both a breakup of the Eurozone and is the weakest US president the NATO alliance has ever suffered through. Again, it seems the proof is in the pudding – delivering Putins dream wish lists… all in the first year.

    I will skip Diplomatically –
    Because that’s just a cruel joke.

    Militarily.
    Yes, it seems as if increasing military spending would be a great thing…
    But it depends on how you spend it.
    You need to spend a lot of time listening to the service commanders testifying about their branches and the status of the military to really understand just how incredibly depleted the US military is from the tempo of War it has maintained for more than 15 years, we don’t need to invest in new equipment as much as we need to maintain and re-equip & re-arm what we have, we can’t attack North Korea AND Iran at the same time – we would NOT win, we just don’t have the working equipment to do it.
    And we still have to upgrade our entire nuclear triad.

    Then again – so does Russia.

    But what Putin & his top generals figured out, was it would be a lot cheaper to buy a presidency than a whole set of new next gen weapons systems & nuclear arsenal and the army to use it, and cyber ops could help him do just that.

    1. tard, nice points. How ever, I have a question for you:
      How did the Russians defeat 16 of Trump’s challengers?
      That to me is the problem with the Russian’s stole our election meme.
      Get past that one and then maybe some of the points you make above will hold water.

      1. The Russians did not “steal” the 2016 election. They interfered in that election. The Russians did not defeat Trump’s opponents in the primaries. They exploited the confirmation biases and false-equivalency habits of social-media users on both the extreme right and the extreme left ends of our political discourse in just such a way as to deepen and broaden the divisions between us, the American people.
        In other words, we the people of The United States of America enabled the Russians’ combinatsiya against us. This is, of course, exactly how disinformation and propaganda work. It’s just that ordinarily we would do these things to ourselves and to one another without any help from Trump’s Russian friends. We are perfectly capable of criminalizing politics and politicizing law without these confounded Kremlin tutorials Surely we can agree that any and all instances of disinformation and propaganda should be Made in America.

        1. Diane –
          A thoughtful and nuanced comment. It seems to me that the “no evidence of Russian interference” folks are supposing that there would be a signed directive from Putin, plain as day. And that nothing else would count.

          1. Thanks Jay. Your comments are also thoughtful.

            Meanwhile, even though some of us accept the findings of our intelligence community respecting Russian interference in our election, the presumption of Trump’s innocence on the Russia thing–you know, with Trump and The Russians–remains in place pending Mueller’s mulling. And that is not a frivolous, trivial matter.

            As strange as it may seem, Trump’s actions could be motivated by an abject fear of having his tax returns made public for reasons that might not involve the concealment of any criminal conduct on anyone’s part. Perhaps his businesses are not as solvent as he needs his business partners to believe they are.

          2. Jay, go ahead and stretch my comments out to discount my theory. The pscho social media did it is just the last resort you all have.
            I don’t have to have a signature from Vlad. I need to know, if what you propose was so elaborate and nefarious, why our intel agencies didn’t inform Obama. And if they did shouldn’t you be blaming him for failing to uphold his oath to his office?
            Shouldn’t we have been protected?
            You can’t have it both ways while rolling down your own river. You and Diane need to come back a little better armed.
            Provide data please.
            And stop assuming the comments I make are as gelatinous as yours.

            1. Perhaps you failed to notice that I agreed with you. The Russians did not steal the election. Perhaps you do not draw a distinction between theft versus interference. Perhaps the presumption of Trump’s innocence until proven guilty in a court of law is similarly lost on you.

              Guess what? Obama was informed. Guess what, again? Obama dropped the ball–bigtime.

              FTR, no one presumes your comments to be as gelatinous as you presume others’ comments to be. We merely disagree with them. More super-subtlety–eh?

              As for your theory, you seem to be asking for polling data other than the election results. I am aware of no sources nor any methods of inquiry that can prove the effectiveness of disinformation and propaganda compared to ordinary, everyday political rhetoric which is frequently indistinguishable from the former. President Tweety-Bird’s tweets often echo The Kremlin line: Obamacare is killing people. In case you didn’t notice, the extreme left is currently spouting the same Kremlin line about Trumpcare.

              Let me I try thees, Comrade: Trump won the election. Clinton lost. Stay tuned on the presumption of innocence thing. Does that work for you?

              1. Now that is a great appication of the KISS principle Keep it simple stupid. Understandably lost on the Collective but that depends on the programming for the day.

        2. Diane, you write:” They exploited the confirmation biases and false-equivalency habits of social-media users on both the extreme right and the extreme left ends of our political discourse in just such a way as to deepen and broaden the divisions between us, the American people.”
          Man what total Bull Sh!t.
          Maybe you should go over to Emptywheel’s blog and drink some more of that Kool-aid you seem to enjoy.
          Your analysis doesn’t give one single group size to even consider in supporting your analysis. I suppose you think the Bernie Bros were instrumental as well in defeating your Queen?
          Please provide data citing the group sizes and surveys done to support your assertions.
          Guess what? You can’t can you?
          Would have been better to go with it was El Nino’s fault.
          Show me the data please.
          SLC beyond.
          Sore Loser Club.

          1. The people are not infallible. Disinformation and propaganda are not figments of the deep-state imagination. Your demand for classified information from a person with no security clearance is absurd on the face of it. Hillary is not my Queen. Can you produce evidence of your telepathy? If not, then please stop supposing that I think whatever you say I think.

    2. yes, Tard, trump was elected because he stood against globalists. for better or for worse.kudos for the Brits telling Brussels to FO. And we don’t need to attack Iran and get embroiled in yet another ME nightmare promoted by the likes of Graham and McCain.

      Please give us proof that Putin is running Trump. All this Russia Russia Russia narrative with 0 evidence.

      How bout we focus on cleaning the real collusion in DC – like DWS and other Dims compromised by the Awan clan??? And who knows what was hacked from HRC’s private server?

      I fear internal enemies of the state more than I do the Russians or Chinese.

      3. Since they have been colluding for decades with the Soviet version of Russians that attitude is far more productive. insofar as the operation of and the security of our Constitutonal Republic is concerned. the rest inlcuding foreign ideology and foreign comment imay be welcome if fatual with sources such as the Canadaian who basically invented their medical system explaining why it was a failure or why the Swedes new system which ejectred socialism and welfare is a success but just for sloganeering? of no useful purpose objectively speaking. That includes refereences to non existent democracies.

    3. Agree. Relatively quickly, this blog’s comments deteriorated in terms of objectivity, analytical thought and humanitarian values.
      Trump’s statements to the Boy Scouts should be reprehensible to all. The religious right was callous in camping with Trump. And, their continued support for a man who exalts to children, the excesses of the rich and men’s entitlement to sexual misdeeds on yachts, interjecting curse words while he does it, is blasphemy.

      1. “Agree. Relatively quickly, this blog’s comments deteriorated in terms of objectivity, analytical thought and humanitarian values.”

        Truth.

        1. LOL! Old timers whining. May I suggest Flowers For Socrates or Elephant Tail. They are wonderful blogs w/ several comments a week.

      2. Agree. Relatively quickly, this blog’s comments deteriorated in terms of objectivity, analytical thought and humanitarian values.

        You could always improve matters by taking yourself elsewhere.

    4. Spectacular post, but the effort is wasted on these mouth-breathers.

      This is to number-one-post-of-the-day tard

      1. Maybe it is Mark, but apparently your reading skills are as bad as your filing skills. You have put out a whole bunch of replies today that are all absent of content. That is pretty bad, but seems to be par for the course.

        1. Louise’s twin or clone or ……something. So on to more important subjects. Enjoy

        2. My posts include all the effort and content that the posters here merit.

          This is to now-aware allan

          1. A good way to describe meritless posts. Sorry you couldn’t keep up with the intellect required

            1. Don’t be sorry Mark is proudly singing the Nazi Salute where intellect is not a requirement.

          2. “My posts include all the effort and content that the posters here merit.”

            You must be posting to yourself.

  15. If you invite Trump, you get Trump. Don’t expect Obama, who never came.

    1. They invited Trump in his capacity as President of the United States, not as a candidate for President in 2020, not as Obama/Hillary Basher in Chief. Unfortunately, Trump doesn’t adhere to these distinctions. I suppose Trump’s talk was “refreshing” if you can’t get enough of Hannity. For many other people, it was another disgrace bestowed on the Presidency by Trump.

      1. Oliver Clozoff – it is not blind to what the Boy Scouts thought they were getting. Trump has been President for 6 months, campaigning for over a year before that. It is not like they could not have looked him up. They are damn lucky the POTUS came. For 8 years the POTUS didn’t come, now the Boy Scouts got one that breathes fire.

        1. If it is “lucky” to have your uncle come to your Thanksgiving dinner and fart loudly during the entire dinner, then I suppose the Boy Scouts were “lucky” that Trump came and spoke to them. Your uncle may have some interesting things to say (just like Trump), but would still be an embarrassment (just like Trump).

          1. How do you know my uncle? Actually, I think that you are my uncle. Fess up.

          2. Trust a Democrat to be unable to articulate with some sort of foul language. Flatulate or at it’s best a Donkey’s Bronx Cheer

      3. No problem we moderate centrists and independents hold you in exactly the same low esteem..But them have the political high grouond as the largest voting bloc we can afford to be nice and reject your foreign ideology.

  16. A stinging rebuke? Ouch, that’ll teach that Trump. And wouldn’t it be 72 years of precedent since Obama never attended a Jamboree?

  17. Americans send their children to public schools where they are propagandized, brainwashed and indoctrinated by liberal, misandrist, redistributionist, anti-American, anti-American-sovereignty globalist, lazy, greedy, striking teachers union thugs on a daily basis.

    Americans voted for President Trump to wake Americas up, drain the swamp and Make America Great Again.

    The National Scout Jamboree is a great place for President Trump to begin to build a foundation for the “fundamentally transformation” of America out of contrived guilt, hysteria and incoherence and back into greatness.

    Maybe President Trump woke some young Americans up and corrected their course.

      1. Good idea they are after all the disinherited offspring of the International and National Socialists.

  18. Really !! That’s what’s wrong with our society today !! No one has the balls to stand which leaves to fall for anything ! Trump is changing to politically correct narrative and people who have jelly for spines can’t handle it. It’s time someone had the guts to tell it the way it is. Be afraid be very afraid people on the margins !!!!!

  19. excuse me, but the Boy Scouts themselves departed from tradition by letting Tillerson force them to follow the LGBTP agenda

  20. And no one on the staff thought to tell the President who is nothing if not a politician about that tradition? No even his top advisor/counselor? We went out of our way to elect an outsider so the Boy Scouts- meaning the adult leadership – can apologize all they want but from watching the young people I sense there was no apologies from them

    But that Nazi remark from the party that springs from the ideoilogy that invented both national and international socialism begged for an apology which of course won’t be forth coming from the likes of Comrade Benita Pelosilyni And Comrade Scum-mer as they showed today how much they wanted to participate. I hope they enjoy having their August vacation cancelled. They can sit on their thumbs and rotate.

    .

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