Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier on Monday announced that he would leave the White House’s manufacturing council, citing President Donald Trump’s failure to explicitly condemn white supremacists after a man who espoused extreme views rammed his car into a crowd of counter-protesters in Charlottesville.
“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,” Frazier said in a statement. “As CEO of Merck and as a matter of personal conscience, I feel a responsibility to take a stand against intolerance and extremism.”
Trump has not explicitly condemned white nationalists following the attack. He instead denounced “this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides.”
Shortly after Frazier announced his resignation, Trump hit back on Twitter criticizing Merck’s drug prices:
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
