President Trump said Tuesday that executives who quit his White House economic councils are "not taking their jobs seriously."
President Trump said Tuesday that executives who quit his White House economic councils are "not taking their jobs seriously" and "leaving out of embarrassment."
Trump made the remarks after the chief executives of Merck, Under Armour, and Intel resigned Monday from a presidential advisory council for manufacturing, in the wake of fallout from Trump's remarks on the violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville over the weekend.
"Some of the folks that will leave, they are leaving out of embarrassment because they make their products outside [the US], and I've been lecturing them... about you have to bring it back to this country you can't do it necessarily in Ireland and all of these places you have to bring this work back to this country that's what I want," Trump said.
Trump went after the executives on Twitter earlier Tuesday, writing, "For every CEO that drops out of the Manufacturing Council, I have many to take their place. Grandstanders should not have gone on. JOBS!"
Trump drew widespread criticism Saturday after he condemned the violence in Charlottesville "from many sides," without specifically denouncing white supremacists or racism.
On Monday, he delivered more pointed remarks and specifically called out neo-Nazis, racism, and the KKK.
"Racism is evil —and those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other hate groups are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans," he said.
For some, the remarks came too late. Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier said Monday that he was resigning from the manufacturing council as a "matter of personal conscience."
"I feel a responsibility to take a stand against intolerance and extremism," he said. "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."
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon also weighed in on Trump's handling of the Charlottesville rally this week, saying the president "missed a critical opportunity to help bring our country together by unequivocally rejecting the appalling actions of white supremacists."
But McMillon said he would continue to serve on Trump's Strategic and Policy Forum, another White House economic advisory council made up of CEOs.
President Trump said Tuesday that executives who quit his White House economic councils are "not taking their jobs seriously." Read Full Story
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS