Since the violence in Charlottesville, chief executives across corporate America have had to weigh the risks of taking a stand against the administration. Mr. McMillon himself, while harshly rebuking the president, initially opted not to step down from the Strategic and Policy Forum before it disbanded — an example of the delicate balance that corporate leaders try to strike when dealing with Mr. Trump.

On Wednesday, we spoke with customers at Walmart stores in three communities — Las Vegas; Bloomington, Ind.; and Union Township, N.J.

This is what they had to say about Walmart chief executive’s decision to weigh into the political fray this week.

— Michael Corkery

Bloomington, Ind.

‘Somebody’s got to say it. We’ve got to speak up.’

Sitting in the Walmart parking lot, Louise Adamson, 78, shook her head as she thought about the violence in Virginia.

“It’s so saddening to see what’s going on, and it’s getting worse and worse,” she said.

Mrs. Adamson and her husband, who recently sold Bloomington Valley Nursery, a garden and landscaping business they started decades ago, attend services each Sunday at Bloomington Southern Baptist church. She said she had voted for Mr. Trump because she liked that he was not a politician.