FOX 7 Discussion: Reaction after Merck CEO resigns from manufacturing council

AUSTIN, Texas - Five chief executives have resigned from the White House Manufacturing Council.

They said it's because of President Trump's failure to condemn white supremacists and other hate groups in the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s deadly violence in Charlottesville.

The president was quite vocal Tuesday about his disapproval over the CEO’s decisions to quit.
In a press conference, he said the CEO's are quote: "not taking their jobs seriously."

Kenneth Frazier, the chairman and CEO of "Merck” a pharmaceutical company was among the first executives to leave the president's "manufacturing jobs council.”  He was one of few African-Americans on it.

When Frazier resigned, he released a statement on Twitter reading, in part: "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."

He went on to say: "As CEO of “Merck” and as a matter of personal conscience, I feel a responsibility to take a stand against intolerance and extremism."

FOX 7’S Rebecca Thomas and Mike Warren talked to "Travis County Democratic Party" chairman, Vincent Harding about how the African-American community felt about the president's handling of a very critical situation.