Brian Krzanich, CEO of chip manufacturer Intel, has exited the American Manufacturing Council 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. Politics and political agendas have sidelined the important mission of rebuilding America’s manufacturing base," he said in a blog post announcing his resignation.
The council is an advisory group to President Donald Trump.
"My request—my plea—to everyone involved in our political system is this: set scoring political points aside and focus on what is best for the nation as a whole. The current environment must change, or else our nation will become a shadow of what it once was and what it still can and should be," said Krzanich.
Kenneth Frazier, CEO of drug company Merck also resigned from the President's manufacturing advisory council over the President's initial reaction to the Charlottesville violence, as has UnderArmor founder Kevin Plank, according to the New York Times.
The President initially did not strongly condemn the white supremacists whose hateful rhetoric triggered a clash and violence, though he did come out with a stronger statement Monday, Aug. 14 calling out hate groups by name. After the subsequent drop-outs by Krzanich and Plank, the Peesident Tweeted:
For every CEO that drops out of the Manufacturing Council, I have many to take their place. Grandstanders should not have gone on. JOBS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 15, 2017
And after reports from various news outlets that that second statement was being viewed by some as too little (he did not brand a car driven into a group of protestors domestic terrorism) and too late and only in response to criticism of the initial statement, the President took to Twitter to attack the media once again, Tweeting:
Made additional remarks on Charlottesville and realize once again that the #Fake News Media will never be satisfied...truly bad people!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2017
