TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — The CEOs of athletic wear manufacturer Under Armour and pharmaceutical company Merck resigned Monday from the White House’s American Manufacturing Council – with the Merck withdrawal drawing a quick and angry Twitter outburst from President Donald Trump.
Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier cited the president’s failure to explicitly rebuke the white nationalists who marched in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the weekend. He wrote on Twitter Monday that “America’s leaders must honor our fundamental values by clearly rejecting expressions of hatred, bigotry and group supremacy, which runs counter to the American ideal that all people are created equal.”
Frazier is one of the few African-Americans to head a Fortune 500 company.
Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank resigned from the panel later Monday, saying his company “engages in innovation and sports, not politics.”
Trump was under increasing pressure to call out the white supremacist groups involved in the Charlottesville demonstration. He lashed out almost immediately at Frazier, saying on Twitter that he will now “have more time to LOWER RIPOFF DRUG PRICES!”