More Americans protested the manner President Donald Trump handled the Virginia violence after Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier resigned from the American Manufacturing Council. Two more members of the council also quit on Monday even if on the same day, two days after the incident, the president finally condemned white supremacists.
under armour CEO Kevin Plank and Intel CEO Brian Kzacnich quit the Council separately on Monday night, Mashable reported. In his statement, Plank said he loves the US and Under Armour, and he left the council so he could focus on inspiring and uniting through sports which promote unity, diversity, and inclusion.
No mention of Trump
Like Frazier, Plank did not mention the president by name in his reaction to the Virginia violence. Kzacnich was a bit bolder and said that he quit the council to call attention to the serious harm the divided political climate is causing to critical issues. He said he wanted progress while “many in Washington seem more concerned with attacking anyone who disagrees with them,” in an obvious reference to White House occupants.
Outside CEOs and other influential Americans are also speaking against the Virginia violence and Trump’s failure to condemn the white supremacists. In a tweet, Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James wrote, “It’s sad what’s going on in Charlottesville.
Is this the direction our country is heading? Make America Great Again huh?”
Trump, so far, has not tweeted anything yet against Plank and Kzacnich, but the president hit Frazier twice on the high drug prices of Merck. Shareholders, however, obviously took the side of the pharmaceutical giant, whose share price rose about 1 percent.
It is the biggest jump in Merck’s stock in a month, Fortune reported. Merck shares closed at $62.83.
Trump’s belated condemnation
On Saturday, after a vehicle driven by a white supremacist moved a counter protest crowd, Trump issued a statement that condemned “in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides – on many sides.” Such weak words failed to appease many Americans outraged by the incident.
Vice President Mike Pence also insisted that Trump spoke from the heart.
On Sunday, the White House issued another statement that the president was, of course, condemning all forms of violence, bigotry, and hatred.” But by then, it was too late because three manufacturing council members had quit.
