Trump attacks Merck boss on Twitter shortly after he announces departure, as chief of AFL-CIO says union federation is reconsidering role with panel

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

One of the US’s most high-profile African American executives quit Donald Trump’s business advisory panel on Monday, citing “a responsibility to take a stand against violence and extremism” and triggering an almost immediate attack from the president.

Kenneth Frazier, chief executive officer of the pharmaceutical giant Merck, made the announcement as Trump faces mounting criticism over his failure to directly criticize the white nationalists at the center of the weekend’s fatal protests in Charlottesville, Virginia.

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The decision followed Trump’s statement blaming “hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides” for the violent protests that left one woman dead and 19 injured – a statement that has been condemned by members of his own party as well as opponents.

“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 a statement.

“Our country’s strength stems from its diversity and the contributions made by men and women of different faiths, races, sexual orientations and political beliefs,” said Frazier, one of just four black executives running a Fortune 500 company.



Trump attacked Frazier shortly after the announcement. “Now that Ken Frazier of Merck Pharma has resigned from President’s Manufacturing Council, he will have more time to LOWER RIPOFF DRUG PRICES!” he tweeted.



Trump has previously criticized pharmaceutical companies for charging “astronomical” drug prices and pledged to find ways to bring prices down.

Following Frazier’s announcement, Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO – a union federation with 12 million members – said it was also assessing its involvement with Trump’s business panel. Trumka sits on the panel.

“The AFL-CIO has unequivocally denounced the actions of bigoted domestic terrorists in Charlottesville and called on the president to do the same. We are aware of the decisions by other members of the president’s manufacturing council, which has yet to hold any real meeting, and are assessing our role. While the AFL-CIO will remain a powerful voice for the freedoms of working people, there are real questions into the effectiveness of this council to deliver real policy that lifts working families,” said Trumka.

Frazier is the fourth business leader to quit Trump’s business panel. The Disney chairman Bob Iger and Tesla chief executive Elon Musk both resigned in June after the president announced he would withdraw the US from the Paris climate agreement.

“Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world,” Musk wrote on Twitter.

Trump announced the creation of his Strategic and Policy Forum last December. The aim was to create a forum for business leaders to advise the president on ways to “make it attractive for firms to create new jobs”.



But the business panel was dogged by controversy from the outset, with staff and customers of many of the companies represented protesting that the involvement of their bosses appeared to endorse policies that their companies’ opposed.

Uber’s CEO, Travis Kalanick, became the first executive to quit the council. In February, he announced his resignation following intense criticism from staff and customers over Trump’s immigration executive order – which attempted to suspend immigration from six predominantly Muslim countries.

Kalnick said he had resigned because of the order and “its issues for our community”.

Frazier’s resignation will put pressure of the remaining members on the council - many of whose companies have policies on immigration and climate change that are in conflict with the Trump administration. Remaining members include Mary Barra, chief executive of General Motors; Jamie Dimon, chairman of JP Morgan; Indra Nooyi, chair and chief executive of Pepsi; Ginni Rometty, chief executive of IBM; and Steven Schwarzman, chief executive of Blackstone.