3 CEOs quit Trump council after Charlottesville riots

By Safvan Allahverdi

WASHINGTON (AA) – Intel Corp. CEO Brian Krzanich and Under Armor CEO Kevin Plank quit from President Donald Trump's American Manufacturing Council late Monday over his reaction to a weekend rally by white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia that descended into rioting, leaving one woman dead.

"I tendered my resignation from the American Manufacturing Council," Krzanich said. "I resigned to call attention to the serious harm our divided political climate is causing to critical issues, including the serious need to address the decline of American manufacturing.

He added that politics and political agendas sidelined the important mission of rebuilding America’s manufacturing base.

Plank said he was appreciative for the opportunity to serve but decided to step down from the council.

"We remain resolute in our potential and ability to improve American manufacturing," he said in a statement. "However, Under Armor engages in innovation and sports, not politics."

The latest resignations came after Merck & Co. CEO Kenneth Frazier announced his decision to step down from the council earlier Monday.

Frazier, one of only a few black CEOs to helm a Fortune 500 company, said in a statement that Trump “must honor our fundamental views by clearly rejecting expressions of hatred, bigotry and group supremacy”.

He did not directly mention Trump’s earlier response to the weekend’s violent clashes but said “as CEO of Merck and as a matter of personal conscience, I feel a responsibility to take a stand against intolerance and extremism.”

At Trump Tower in New York late Monday, thousands of demonstrators gathered around the building to protest the events in Charlottesville and Trump's response.

Waving signs and marching down streets, they chanted “Shame! Shame!” as the president's limousine arrived.