Fifth leader resigns from Trump’s manufacturing council

The president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing has resigned from President Trump’s American Manufacturing Council, making him the fifth business leader to do so.

“I’m resigning from the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative because it’s the right thing for me to do,” Scott Paul tweeted Tuesday. 

I’m resigning from the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative because it’s the right thing for me to do.

— Scott Paul (@ScottPaulAAM) August 15, 2017

Paul’s exit comes amid backlash over the president’s response to the violence at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., over the weekend.

{mosads}Paul is joining Kenneth Frazier, the CEO of major pharmaceutical company Merck; Kevin Plank, the CEO of Under Armour; and Brian Krzanich, the CEO of Intel, who all resigned from the president’s council Monday. 

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, left the council earlier this year after Trump announced the U.S. would withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. 

Trump was criticized for initially claiming that “many sides” were to blame for the violence at the rally. One woman died and at least 19 people were injured after a driver with ties to white supremacists rammed his car into counterprotesters. 

“We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides — on many sides,” Trump said from his New Jersey golf course on Saturday. 

But after criticism from lawmakers in both parties, Trump tried to quell the controversy on Monday with new remarks.

“Racism is evil and those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other hate groups that are repugnant to what we hold dear as Americans,” he said Monday, specifically calling out the groups participating in the rally.

Trump has hit back at the executives who left, claiming others would join the council.

“For every CEO that drops out of the Manufacturing Council, I have many to take their place. Grandstanders should not have gone on. JOBS!” Trump tweeted, moments before Paul announced his decision.

For every CEO that drops out of the Manufacturing Council, I have many to take their place. Grandstanders should not have gone on. JOBS!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 15, 2017

This story was updated at 12:23 p.m.