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#Charlottesville: More CEOs resign from Trump’s Manufacturing Council

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Intel’s Brian Krzanich has resigned from Donald Trump’s American Manufacturing Council

Two more chief executives have resigned from Donald Trump’s American Manufacturing Council over the president’s response to violence in Charlottesville at the weekend.

The CEOs are Intel’s Brian Krzanich and Under Armour head Kevin Plank.

They have followed Merck’s Ken Frazier in leaving the manufacturing council.

Mr Trump was criticised for failing to denounce white supremacist groups that held a rally, which ended in bloodshed.

A woman was killed when a car rammed into a crowd protesting over the march.

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Mr Trump was widely rebuked for his initial response for not specifically denouncing the far right, and instead ascribing blame to “both sides”.

Bowing to pressure, the president issued a statement on Monday calling the Ku Klux Klan, neo-Nazis and white supremacists “repugnant” to everything Americans held dear.

“Racism is evil and those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs,” he told reporters.

READ: Mob attack Charly Boy during anti-Buhari protest

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‘Diversity and inclusion’

Mr Plank sent out a tweet on Monday condemning racism.

Ken Frazier during a previous White House meeting with Trump

“We are saddened by #Charlottesville. There is no place for racism or discrimination in this world. We choose love & unity.”

Ten hours later Mr Plank released another statement on Under Armour’s Twitter account announcing his resignation from the advisory body.

“I love our country and our company and will 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.”

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Under Armour head Kevin Plank

Soon after, Mr Krzanich announced in a blog post on Intel’s website that he too was leaving the council “to call attention to the serious harm our divided political climate is causing to critical issues, including the serious need to address the decline of American manufacturing”.

“Politics and political agendas have sidelined the important mission of rebuilding America’s manufacturing base.”

In an earlier tweet, he had also said “there should be no hesitation in condemning hate speech or white supremacy by name”.

Both men in the past have expressed some admiration for Mr Trump.

Their resignations follow the departure of Ken Frazier, the head of drug’s giant Merck, and one of only a handful of black leaders of Fortune 500 companies, on Monday morning.

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Mr Frazier said: “I feel a responsibility to take a stand against intolerance and extremism.”

“America’s leaders must honour our fundamental views by clearly rejecting expressions of hatred, bigotry and group supremacy, which run counter to the American ideal that all people are created equal.”

In response, Mr Trump tweeted that Mr Frazier would now have “more time to lower rip off drug prices”.

In January, Mr Trump had called on pharmaceutical companies to cut “astronomical” drug prices.

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