Intel CEO Leaves President Trump’s Manufacturing Council

By Shane McGlaun

Intel CEO Brian Krzanich has become the third executive to drop out of the President Trump manufacturing council this week. The other executives that left included Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank and Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier. Plank and Frazier both left the council citing backlash over white supremacist violence in Virginia reports CNBC.

Intel CEO Krzanich left citing the direction in US politics currently. He said, “I resigned to call attention to the serious harm our divided political climate is causing to critical issues, including the serious need to address the decline of American manufacturing,” he explained.

Krzanich wrote in a blog post at Intel.com:

Earlier today, I tendered my resignation from the American Manufacturing Council. I resigned to call attention to the serious harm our divided political climate is causing to critical issues, including the serious need to address the decline of American manufacturing. Politics and political agendas have sidelined the important mission of rebuilding Americas manufacturing base.

I have already made clear my abhorrence at the recent hate-spawned violence in Charlottesville, and earlier today I called on all leaders to condemn the white supremacists and their ilk who marched and committed violence. I resigned because I want to make progress, while many in Washington seem more concerned with attacking anyone who disagrees with them. We should honor not attack those who have stood up for equality and other cherished American values. I hope this will change, and I remain willing to serve when it does.

I am not a politician. I am an engineer who has spent most of his career working in factories that manufacture the worlds most advanced devices. Yet, it is clear even to me that nearly every issue is now politicized to the point where significant progress is impossible. Promoting American manufacturing should not be a political issue.

My requestmy pleato everyone involved in our political system is this: set scoring political points aside and focus on what is best for the nation as a whole. The current environment must change, or else our nation will become a shadow of what it once was and what it still can and should be.

Krzanich has been the CEO of intel since 2013.