'Signing that letter was a mistake': CEO says she’ll 'apologize' for endorsing Trump pick
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright speak with members of the media outside of the West Wing of the White House, in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 19, 2025. REUTERS/Kent Nishimura
One corporate CEO is now publicly expressing remorse for endorsing one of President Donald Trump's Cabinet picks.
Bloomberg reported Tuesday that Mary Beth Laughton, who is the CEO of Recreational Equipment Inc., (REI) is now making amends for signing onto a letter in support of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum when the Senate was weighing his confirmation. That letter, which was circulated by the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR), lauded Burgum for his "support for outdoor recreation, economic growth, and the preservation of public lands and waters."
"Governor Burgum’s track record in supporting outdoor recreation and his understanding of the outdoor recreation economy make him uniquely qualified to lead the Department of the Interior,” the ORR letter read. “As an avid outdoorsman and a proponent of public-private partnerships, Governor Burgum’s leadership is critical to ensuring the long-term success of outdoor recreation as an economic driver and community connector.”
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In a video posted to Instagram, Laughton officially retracted her company's support of Burgum.
"Let me be clear, signing that letter was a mistake," Laughton said. "I’m here today to apologize to our members, and to take full accountability for how we move forward."
Laughton further elaborated on her stance against Burgum's leadership of the agency that oversees all federal land, saying his decisions have so far been "completely at odds with the longstanding values of REI." She cited the Trump administration's opening of new oil drilling leases on public land and mass firings of National Park Service employees as examples.
Bloomberg also reported that REI was joining forces with other outdoors equipment companies like Patagonia, Osprey and La Sportiva for a new initiative entitled "Brands for Public Lands." That campaign aims to pressure Congress to implement more protections for public land and for the Department of the Interior to have more transparency when it comes to public land oversight.
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Click here to read Bloomberg's report in full (subscription required).
