NEW YORK ¨C Under Armour Inc.¡¯s Kevin Plank became the latest chief executive to quit President Donald Trump¡¯s council of U.S. business leaders, as membership on the panel has become enmeshed in the country¡¯s volatile politics after violent riots in Virginia over the weekend.
The move comes hours after Merck & Co.¡¯s Kenneth Frazier also stepped down from the business council. Plank¡¯s departure is a sharp rebuke to Trump, after the Under Armor executive earlier this year came under fire for commenting that the president was a ¡°real asset¡± for the country.
¡°Under Armour engages in innovation and sport, not politics,¡± Plank said in a tweeted statement that referenced the company¡¯s aim to promote diversity and inclusion. Frazier said he quit ¡°as a matter of personal conscience, I feel a responsibility to take a stand against intolerance and extremism.¡±
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