Merck's CEO left Trump's manufacturing council over Charlottesville — here’s how the rest of the council responded

AP

President Donald Trump's manufacturing council of business leaders lost a member Monday amid fallout from Trump's handling of the white-nationalist protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the weekend.

Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier, the only black business leader in the group, resigned from it after Trump initially failed to explicitly denounce white nationalists.

By the time Trump did so in a televised address on Monday, Frazier remained the only one to have stepped down from the council because of the weekend's events.

Later Monday, Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank joined Frazier in leaving the council. The sporting goods CEO said he decided to do so beause his company "engages in innovation and sports, not politics."

Business Insider contacted the representatives of the remaining council members to ask for a statement on Frazier's departure and whether they still planned to participate:

• Andrew Liveris, Dow Chemical Company, will remain on the council. "I condemn the violence this weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia, and my thoughts and prayers are with those who lost loved ones and with the people of Virginia," Liveris said in an emailed statement. "In Dow, there is no room for hatred, racism, or bigotry. Dow will continue to work to strengthen the social and economic fabric of the communities where it operates — including supporting policies that help create employment opportunities in manufacturing and rebuild the American workforce."
• Bill Brown, Harris Corporation, did not respond to a request for comment.
• Michael Dell, Dell Technologies, will remain on the council. "While we wouldn't comment on any member's personal decision, there's no change in Dell engaging with the Trump administration and governments around the world to share our perspective on policy issues that affect our company, customers, and employees," a spokeswoman said.
• John Ferriola, Nucor Corporation, did not respond to a request for comment.
• Jeff Fettig, Whirlpool Corporation, did not respond to a request for comment.
• Mark Fields, formerly Ford Motor Company, stepped away from the council after leaving Ford in May. Ford told Business Insider the company did not have a representative on the manufacturing council.
• Ken Frazier, Merck, left the council. "As CEO of Merck, and as a matter of personal conscience, I feel a responsibility to take a stand against intolerance and extremism," he said in a statement.
• Alex Gorsky, Johnson & Johnson, did not respond to a request for comment.
• Greg Hayes, United Technologies Corp., did not respond to a request for comment.
• Marillyn Hewson, Lockheed Martin, declined to comment.
• Jeff Immelt, General Electric, will remain on the council. "GE has no tolerance for hate, bigotry or racism, and we strongly condemn the violent extremism in Charlottesville over the weekend," a GE representative said in a statement. "GE is a proudly inclusive company with employees who represent all religions, nationalities, sexual orientations, and races. With more than 100,000 employees in the United States, it is important for GE to participate in the discussion on how to drive growth and productivity in the US, therefore, Jeff Immelt will remain on the Presidential Committee on American Manufacturing while he is the chairman of GE."
• Jim Kamsickas, Dana Inc., did not respond to a request for comment.
• Klaus Kleinfeld, formerly Arconic, left the company in April. It no longer has a representative on the council.
• Brian Krzanich, Intel, did not respond to a request for comment, though he tweeted from his personal account on Monday: "There should be no hesitation in condemning hate speech or white supremacy by name. #Intel asks all our countries leadership to do the same."
• Rich Kyle, The Timken Company, did not respond to a request for comment.
• Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO, said the group was aware of Frazier's decision and assessing its role. "The AFL-CIO has unequivocally denounced the actions of bigoted domestic terrorists in Charlottesville and called on the president to do the same," said a statement from Trumka. "We are aware of the decisions by other members of the President's Manufacturing Council, which has yet to hold any real meeting*, and are assessing our role. While the AFL-CIO will remain a powerful voice for the freedoms of working people, there are real questions into the effectiveness of this council to deliver real policy that lifts working families."
• Thea Lee, formerly AFL-CIO, departed as the group's deputy chief of staff, and it is unclear whether she will remain a member of the council.
• Mario Longhi, formerly US Steel, stepped away from the council after retiring on June 30.
• Denise Morrison, Campbell Soup Company, will remain on the council. "The reprehensible scenes of bigotry and hatred on display in Charlottesville over the weekend have no place in our society," said a company representative. "Not simply because of the violence, but because the racist ideology at the center of the protests is wrong and must be condemned in no uncertain terms. Campbell has long held the belief that diversity and inclusion are critical to the success of our business and our culture. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is unwavering, and we will remain active champions for these efforts. We believe it continues to be important for Campbell to have a voice and provide input on matters that will affect our industry, our company and our employees in support of growth. Therefore, Ms. Morrison will remain on the President's Manufacturing Jobs Initiative."
• Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing, did not respond to a request for comment.
• Elon Musk, Tesla, left the council in June after Trump pulled out of the Paris agreement on climate change. He tweeted at the time: "Am departing presidential councils. Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world."
• Doug Oberhelman, formerly Caterpillar, did not respond to a request for comment.
• Scott Paul, Alliance for American Manufacturing, was unavailable for comment.
• Kevin Plank, Under Armour, announced Monday night he will step down from the council: "I joined the American Manufacturing Council because I believed it was important for Under Armour to have an active seat at the table and represent our industry," Plank said in a statement. "We remain resolute in our potential and ability to improve American manufacturing. However, Under Armour engages in innovation and sports, not politics."
• Michael Polk, Newell Brands, did not respond to a request for comment.
• Mark Sutton, International Paper, will remain on the council. "International Paper strongly condemns the violence that took place in Charlottesville over the weekend — there is no place for hatred, bigotry, and racism in our society," said an International Paper representative. "We are a company that fosters an inclusive workforce where all employees are valued and treated with dignity and respect. Through our participation on the Manufacturing Jobs Council, we will work to strengthen the social and economic fabric of communities across the country by creating employment opportunities in manufacturing."
• Inge Thulin, 3M, did not respond to a request for comment.
• Wendell Weeks, Corning, did not respond to a request for comment.

Steve Schwarzman, the CEO of the private-equity giant Blackstone and the leader of Trump's Strategic and Policy Forum — another group of executives from companies such as JPMorgan, PepsiCo, and Walmart — also condemned the events in Charlottesville and said he would remain as head of the forum.

"Bigotry, hatred, and extremism are an affront to core American values and have no place in this country," Schwarzman said in a statement. "I am deeply saddened and troubled by the tragic events in Charlottesville. My heartfelt condolences go out to the victims and their families. As the president said today, I believe we need to find a path to heal the wounds left by this tragedy and address its underlying causes. Encouraging tolerance and understanding must be a core national imperative, and I will work to further that goal."

*Editor's note: The manufacturing group met in February along with a handful of other business executives, but it's unclear whether Trumka was in attendance.

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