Two days after neo-Nazis marched openly in Virginia, President Donald Trump has yet to explicitly condemn their behavior. But the president found a different target to denounce Monday after a black CEO resigned in protest from the White House’s manufacturing council.
Kenneth Frazier, CEO of pharmaceutical giant Merck and Co., called his decision to step down from the council “a stand against intolerance and extremism,” an apparent rebuke of Trump’s refusal to explicitly condemn violent white nationalist protests in Virginia two days before.
“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,” Frazier said in a statement. “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.”
Less than an hour after Frazier’s statement, Trump responded in trademark Trump fashion:
Now that Ken Frazier of Merck Pharma has resigned from President’s Manufacturing Council,he will have more time to LOWER RIPOFF DRUG PRICES!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2017
