Donald Trump’s American Manufacturing Council lost one of its members on Monday morning, when Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier announced he was stepping down citing “a responsibility to take a stand against intolerance and extremism.” Thanks to Under Armour’s Kevin Plank, Frazier isn’t the only executive to part ways with the president’s council.
Plank is the founder, CEO, and chairman of Under Armour. He announced his decision to step down from the council in a statement, saying that his company “engages in innovation and sports, not politics.”
I love our country & company. I am stepping down from the council to focus on inspiring & uniting through power of sport. – CEO Kevin Plank pic.twitter.com/8YvndJMjj1
— Under Armour (@UnderArmour) August 15, 2017
This is not the first time that Plank’s association with the president has made headlines. Back in February, Plank said that he viewed Trump as an “asset” to the country, which led to a handful of Under Armour-endorsed athletes expressing their disappointment in the company’s CEO. Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry issued a response to the comment, as did Dwayne Johnson, who said Plank’s assessment of the president was “divisive and lacking in perspective.”
Plank’s decision to step down comes after a tumultuous weekend for the president, as Trump has roundly received criticism for the way he has responded to the events in Charlottesville, Va. After claiming the “hatred, violence, and bigotry” in the town was the work of “many sides” on Saturday, Trump received criticisms for politicians from all over the political spectrum. In fact, it took him until Monday to denounce the right-wing groups — namely the Ku Klux Klan, neo-nazis, and white supremacists — that marched on Charlottesville to kick off the weekend’s events. His approval rating in the latest Gallup poll is down to 34 percent, an all-time low.
