Boy Scouts’ exec ‘sincerely regret[s] that politics were inserted into the Scouting program’

Boy Scouts of America’s top executive is apologizing in the wake of the organization’s National Jamboree, during which President Donald Trump gave a highly criticized speech.

On Thursday, chief scout executive Michael Surbaugh published a lengthy letter online. In it, he offers his “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.”

Surbaugh said the invitation to the president is a “long-standing tradition” since 1937, and assured the public that it was not “an endorsement of any person, party or policies.” Surbaugh reiterated the organization’s non-partisan policy.

He wrote:

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.