A CEO that served on President Donald Trump’s council on manufacturing announced his resignation early Monday morning, due to Trump’s response to the violent protest in Charlottesville, Va.
Ken Frazier, the CEO of Merck, a large pharmaceutical company, announced he was stepping down from the White House panel in a statement on Twitter, saying he would be leaving “as a matter of personal conscience” and “to take a stand against intolerance and extremism.”
Frazier criticized Trump for his vague language condemning the protests, as the president merely denounced “hatred” from all sides after the violence.
“America’s leaders must honor our fundamental values by clearly rejecting expressions of hatred, bigotry, and group supremacy, which run counter to the American ideal that all people are created equal,” Frazier said in the statement.
— Merck (@Merck) August 14, 2017
Trump responded several hours later.
Now that Ken Frazier of Merck Pharma has resigned from President’s Manufacturing Council,he will have more time to LOWER RIPOFF DRUG PRICES!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2017
The “Unite the Right” rally drew white nationalists, neo-Nazis, and members of the militia movement. Police promptly called the permitted event an unlawful assembly after violent brawls between rally-goers and counter protesters began, leaving several injured. (RELATED: Trump Condemns Hatred And Bigotry ‘On Many Sides’ Following Violence In Virginia)
After the police cleared the groups out of the park, a car violently struck a crowd, which resulted in the death of one individual and injury of at least 19.
Follow Henry Rodgers On Twitter
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.