Boy Scouts Chief Disputes Trump's Lie About His Speech was "Greatest Ever'
President Trump waves after speaking to Boy Scouts during the National Boy Scout Jamboree at Summit Bechtel National Scout Reserve in Glen Jean, West Virginia, on July 24, 2017.Getty
By CBS NEWS
The Boy Scouts are disputing President Trump's claim that he was told his speech last week at their national jamboree event was the "the greatest speech ever made to them."
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal after the event last week, the president claimed that he received a call from the head of the Boy Scouts praising his speech. This came after Mr. Trump appeared to get annoyed that a reporter said that there was "mixed" reaction to his speech.
"There was no mix there. That was a standing ovation from the time I walked out to the time I left, and for five minutes after I had already gone. There was no mix," Trump said, according to a transcript obtained by Politico.
"And I got a call from the head of the Boy Scouts saying it was the greatest speech that was ever made to them, and they were very thankful. So there was — there was no mix," Mr. Trump added.
But the Boy Scouts told Time magazine and other outlets Tuesday that they aren't aware of a call being placed to the White House by national leadership, saying that a statement from the organization's chief scout executive last week speaks for itself.
"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," Michael Surbaugh said in the statement last Thursday. "That was never our intent. The invitation for the sitting U.S. President to visit the National Jamboree is a long-standing tradition that has been extended to the leader of our nation that has had a Jamboree during his term since 1937. It is in no way an endorsement of any person, party or policies."
The speech from the president was highly political, with comments, for example, calling on Congress to repeal and replace Obamacare, boasting of states where he beat Hillary Clinton, and blasting the "fake media."
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