Merck CEO Quits Manufacturing Council To Stand Against Violence; Trump Promptly Calls Him Out About Drug Pricing

President Donald Trump saw the resignation of a second American Manufacturing Council member Monday after he condemned the “many sides” of the Charlottesville rally rather than denouncing the white supremacist assembly.

He wasn’t pleased.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) CEO Ken Frazier became the council’s second original appointee to step down following Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk, who’d protested the U.S.’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord.

"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."

Twenty-six business leaders remain on the council, including the CEOs of Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC), Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) and Boeing Co (NYSE:BA).