Trump tweets back after CEOs wash hands of advisory panel
THREE key members have resigned from a White House panel on manufacturing after President Donald Trump’s initial failure to explicitly condemn a white supremacist rally.
The resignations of the Merck, Intel and Under Armour CEOs came as criticism grew over Trump’s slow response to a weekend march which ended in bloodshed as a suspected neo-Nazi ploughed his car into a crowd of anti-racism protesters, killing one and injuring 19.
Trump initially blamed “many sides” for Saturday’s violence, sparking a welter of criticism and prompting Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier, a prominent African-American businessman, to quit the presidential advisory panel.
“America’s leaders must honour our fundamental values by clearly rejecting expressions of hatred, bigotry and group supremacy, which run counter to the American ideal that all men are created equal,” Frazier tweeted in announcing his resignation on Monday.
“As CEO of Merck and as a matter of personal conscience, I feel a responsibility to take a stand against intolerance and extremism.” Trump didn’t wait long to respond. “Now that Ken Frazier of Merck Pharma has resigned from President’s Manufacturing Council, he will have more time to LOWER RIPOFF DRUG PRICES!” he wrote.
In a later post, Trump accused Merck of being “a leader in higher; higher drug prices while at the same time taking jobs out of the US Bring jobs back; LOWER PRICES.”
Several hours later, Under Armour founder and chief executive Kevin Plank also announced he would step down from the panel.
“Under Armour engages in innovation and sports, not politics,” he said in a subtly worded statement. “I love our country and our company and will continue to focus my efforts on inspiring every person that they can do anything through the power of sport, which promotes unity, diversity and inclusion.”
Plank earlier this year publicly expressed support for Trump in comments that sparked a backlash.
Intel chief Brian Krzanich announced his departure from the panel in a blunt statement that “call[ed] attention to the serious harm our divided political climate is causing to critical issues”.
“Politics and political agendas have sidelined the important mission of rebuilding America’s manufacturing base,” he said in a statement that underlined his “abhorrence” at the violence in Charlottesville.
“I resigned because I want to make progress, while many in Washington seem more concerned with attacking anyone who disagrees with them.
“We should honour – not attack – those who have stood up for equality and other cherished American values. I hope this will change, and I remain willing to serve when it does.”
Shortly after Frazier’s resignation, the White House issued a statement calling out specific hate groups.
“Racism is evil. And those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans,” Trump said in nationally televised remarks.
The Justice Department has launched a civil rights inquiry into the incident, and the driver of the car, a 20-year-old Ohio man who was said to have had a history of neo-Nazi beliefs, has been charged with second-degree murder.
Frazier, a Harvard-trained attorney, is not the first executive to depart a Trump advisory panel.
Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate accord prompted Disney CEO Bob Iger and Tesla Motors chief Elon Musk to leave a panel, as did ex-Uber head Travis Kalanick after Trump’s travel ban. — AFP