U.S. President Donald Trump puts his hand on General Motors CEO Mary Barra while hosting a strategy and policy forum with chief executives of major U.S. companies at the White House in Washington, U.S. February 3, 2017. From L-R are IBM CEO Ginni Rometty, Pepsico CEO Indra Nooyi, Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman, U.S. President Donald Trump, General Motors CEO Mary Barra, White House National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn and Wal-Mart CEO Doug McMillon. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX2ZIOT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump dismantled two CEO advisory panels on Wednesday as a growing number of chief executives announced their resignations following his response to a weekend of violence in Virginia that stoked racial tensions nationwide.

“Rather than putting pressure on the businesspeople of the Manufacturing Council & Strategy & Policy Forum, I am ending both. Thank you all!” Trump wrote on Twitter.