Walk away
Two more CEOs quit Trump’s manufacturing council yesterday after Kenneth Frazier led the way. He just said on Twitter that he can find plenty more where they came from, but I bet he’ll find it’s not that easy. I figure a lot of CEOs, maybe even most of them, won’t want the bad publicity.
The aftermath of the violence at a neo-Nazi and white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, represents the latest break between Trump, who sold himself as a businessman president, and leaders of corporate America.
They have also loudly opposed him on immigration and his decision to pull the United States out of the Paris climate agreement.
He is a businessman president…but he’s not a CEO president. His experience is of running a family business, not a large corporation. His experience is in marketing and construction, not manufacturing. His skill set…I honestly don’t know what that is, apart from skill at being a conspicuous noisy public asshole.
Kevin Plank, the CEO of Under Armour (UA), quit the council later in the day.
“Under Armour engages in innovation and sports, not politics,” he said in a statement. He said he would “continue to focus my efforts on inspiring every person that they can do anything through the power of sport which promotes unity, diversity and inclusion.”
Intel (INTC, Tech30) CEO Brian Krzanich was somewhat more direct.
“We should honor — not attack — those who have stood up for equality and other cherished American values. I hope this will change, and I remain willing to serve when it does,” he wrote in a blog post on the company’s website late Monday.
“I resigned because I want to make progress, while many in Washington seem more concerned with attacking anyone who disagrees with them,” he said.
It would be good if they all quit, and if no one would accept an invitation to replace them. Maybe then the Republicans would get serious.
For every CEO that drops out of the Manufacturing Council, I have many to take their place. Grandstanders should not have gone on. JOBS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 15, 2017
Updating to add: Jake Tapper reports a fourth walker away.
Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, quit WH manufacturing council, joining CEOs of Merck, Under Armour & Intel
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) August 15, 2017
Bet he does get a bunch of small-timers to fill those places. Not national or international companies, but regional ones that mostly cater to a rural audience that’s still loyal to the Orangutan-in-Chief.
‘…inspiring every person that they can do anything through the power of sport which promotes unity, diversity and inclusion….’
See, anyone can churn out the required verbiage, not matter how black-hearted their actual beliefs and behavior. Trump’s open defiance toward basic decency is still novel these days.