Merck pharmaceutical company CEO Kenneth Frazier resigned from President Trump's American Manufacturing Council on Monday, over concerns about the administration's subdued response to violent white supremacist demonstrations in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the weekend.
That, of course, prompted a furious response from Trump:
Frazier, who is the first African-American president of Merck, said earlier Monday that "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. As CEO of Merck and as a matter of personal conscience, I feel a responsibility to take a stand against intolerance and extremism."
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Trump's decision to swiftly attack Frazier renewed criticism of his muted response Saturday to the violence in Charlottesville. "Unreal," tweeted political scholar Brian Klass. "Frazier resigned out of principle since Trump wouldn't denounce neo-Nazis. Instead of denouncing neo-Nazis, Trump denounces Frazier."
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