Four members of Donald Trump’s American Manufacturing Council have resigned following the President’s lackluster response to the violence in Charlottesville, including Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier, the only African American member of the council, who Trump criticized by name, as well as Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank and Intel CEO Brian Krzanich. The three were all called “grandstanders” by Trump on Twitter earlier Tuesday, which led to a fourth person, Scott Paul (head of the Alliance for American Manufacturing), announcing that he was done with the council as well.
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon has weighed in on the President’s response by saying Trump missed a “critical opportunity” to unite the country in the wake of such racially charged violence. In a post on the Walmart corporate blog, McMillon says that Walmart plays an important role in making communities more inclusive:
As we watched the events and the response from President Trump over the weekend, we too felt that he missed a critical opportunity to help bring our country together by unequivocally rejecting the appalling actions of white supremacists. His remarks today were a step in the right direction and we need that clarity and consistency in the future.
(McMillon’s message was published before President Trump’s Tuesday comments that appeared to backtrack on his Monday comments.)
McMillon continues his message saying that politicians, businesses, and communities can and should work together to address the “very difficult issues” the country is facing. McMillon says that Walmart employs and serves a very diverse group of people and it’s up to him to advocate on their behalf. However, as of now, McMillon is still a part of a different policy advisory group for the President.
(Via Walmart)