Intel CEO Brian Krzanich Resigns From Trump’s Advisory Council

Intel chief executive Brian Krzanich has resigned from the US administration’s American Manufacturing Council, calling the move was a protest over the “divided” political environment.

Krzanich is the latest of a number of tech company chief executives to resign from an administration advisory board over political issues.

‘Divided’ climate

The move follows a protest by white supremacists in Charlottesville, North Carolina over the weekend in which a woman was killed. US president Trump was widely criticised for a response in which he declined to criticise any particular group, instead blaming hatred on “many sides”.

In a tweet Krzanich said there should be “no hesitation in condemning hate speech or white supremacy by name”.

In a later blog post he said he had resigned from the council to “call attention to the serious harm our divided political climate is causing to critical issues” affecting the manufacturing sector.

“I want to make progress, while many in Washington seem more concerned with attacking anyone who disagrees with them,” he wrote.

Protest departures

Two other chief executives also left the council following the incident, Ken Frazier of drugs giant Merck and Kevin Plank of sportswear maker Under Armour.

In June Tesla chief Elon Musk and Walt Disney head Robert Iger left the president’s Strategic and Policy Forum following Trump’s decision to withdraw the US from the Paris climate agreement. Musk also withdrew from the manufacturing council.

In February then-Uber chief executive Travis Kalanick left the Business Advisory Council over the administration’s immigration policies.

Those policies have been widely criticised by Silicon Valley tech companies.

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