Kenneth Frazier, the CEO of the pharmaceutical giant Merck, bowed out of the board, saying it was a ‘matter of personal conscience’ that he take a ‘stand against intolerance and extremism.’
President Trump quickly hit back on Twitter, writing, ‘Now that Ken Frazier of Merck Pharma has resigned from President’s Manufacturing Council,he will have more time to LOWER RIPOFF DRUG PRICES!’
The president is now facing a business backlash over his much-panned response to the violence that broke out Saturday in Charlottesville, in which one counter-protester – marching against hate groups gathered in the Virginia town – was killed.
Nazi sympathizer James Fields, a 20-year-old from Ohio, used his Dodge Charger to run over counter-protesters killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injuring 19 more.
He’s been charged with second degree murder.
Two police officers who were responding to the violence were also killed when their helicopter crashed.
On Saturday, Trump made a statement from his Bedminster resort in New Jersey saying, ‘We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, on many sides.’