President and CEO of 3M , Inge Thulin, announced Wednesday he is leaving President Donald Trump's Manufacturing Council.

"I joined the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative in January to advocate for policies that align with our values and encourage even stronger investment and job growth — in order to make the United States stronger, healthier and more prosperous for all people. After careful consideration, I believe the initiative is no longer an effective vehicle for 3M to advance these goals. As a result, today I am resigning from the Manufacturing Advisory Council," Thulin said in a statement posted to 3M's Twitter account.

Thulin's exit makes him the seventh person to leave the council since fallout from Trump's response to the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville Saturday that turned deadly. A man crashed his car into a group of counter-protestors , killing one and injuring 19, at the "Unite the Right" rally protesting the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue.

Trump was scrutinized for not condemning white supremacy early enough and for claiming that there was fault "on both sides." </s> With at least five executives leaving his manufacturing council in the wake of President Trump's contentious remarks about white supremacists, the president is ending the group he created in January. Trump said he's also ending his strategy and policy forum, which he formed in December.

"Rather than putting pressure on the businesspeople of the Manufacturing Council & Strategy & Policy Forum, I am ending both. Thank you all!" President Trump said in a tweet.

The move came shortly after two executives — 3M's Inge Thulin and Campbell Soup's Denise Morrison — said on Wednesday that they would be leaving the manufacturing council established by Trump, who has long touted the need to support American manufacturing jobs.

"Racism and murder are unequivocally reprehensible and are not morally equivalent to anything else that happened in Charlottesville", Campbell Soup CEO Denise Morrison stated, referring to Trump's much-criticized response to the white supremacist rally that resulted in the death of a counter-protester over the weekend.

3M President and CEO Inge Thulin said his decision to leave the group followed reflection on the values of "sustainability, diversity and inclusion."

The moves came one day after the resignations of Scott Paul, the president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing; Richard Trumka, the president of the AFL-CIO; and Thea Lee, the AFL-CIO's deputy chief of staff.

"I'm resigning from the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative because it's the right thing for me to do," Paul wrote in a tweet Tuesday morning.

Trump's decision to wind down the group comes after he struck a defiant tone about the resignations this week.

On Monday, Trump said, "Now that Ken Frazier of Merck Pharma has resigned from President's Manufacturing Council,he will have more time to LOWER RIPOFF DRUG PRICES!"

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

When the council was formed back in January, the White House said the the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative would allow the president to meet with "some of the world's most successful and creative business leaders to share their experiences and gain their insights." </s> President and CEO of 3M Inge Thulin is leaving President Donald Trump's manufacturing advisory council, the seventh chief executive to leave.

Thulin announced his resignation in a statement released by 3M on Wednesday afternoon.

"I believe the initiative is no longer an effective vehicle for 3M to advance" its goals, Thulin said, which he says are to achieve a United States which is "stronger, healthier and more prosperous for all people."

Seven of the White House councils' 37 members resigned this week, led by Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier's exit on Monday from the manufacturing council. Frazier left after Trump's waffling responses to the deadly right-wing violence in Charlottesville, Virginia over the weekend.

"As C.E.O. of Merck and as a matter of personal conscience, I feel a responsibility to take a stand against extremism," Frazier said.

Trump has attacked those who left the councils, tweeting at Frazier almost immediately after the Merck chief resigned and later tweeting, "For every CEO that drops out of the Manufacturing Council, I have many to take their place. Grandstanders should not have gone on. JOBS!"

Read the full statement from Thulin here:

Sustainability, diversity and inclusion are my personal values and also fundamental to the 3M Vision. The past few months have provided me with an opportunity to reflect upon my commitment to these values.

I joined the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative in January to advocate for policies that align with our values and encourage even stronger investment and job growth – in order to make the United States stronger, healthier and more prosperous for all people. After careful consideration, I believe the initiative is no longer an effective vehicle for 3M to advance these goals. As a result, today I am resigning from the Manufacturing Advisory Council.

 At 3M, we will continue to champion an environment that supports sustainability, diversity and inclusion. I am committed to building a company that improves lives in every corner of the world. </s> President Donald Trump has announced that he will end two White House business councils amid criticism from CEOs over his comments following the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.Today, the CEO of Campbell Soup Company resigned from President Donald Trump's Manufacturing Jobs Initiative panel, saying she believes the president should have been unambiguous after the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia."Racism and murder are unequivocally reprehensible and are not morally equivalent to anything else that happened in Charlottestville," a statement from Campbell's CEO Denise Morrison read on Wednesday afternoon."I believe the President should have been - and still needs to be - unambiguous on that point. Following yesterday's remarks from the President, I cannot remain on the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative. I will continue to support all efforts to spur economic growth and advocate for the values that have always made America great."Morrison's resignation is one of several following President Donald Trump's comments after the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.Moments after Morrison's announcement, Trump tweeted the end of two councils: "Rather than putting pressure on the businesspeople of the Manufacturing Council & Strategy & Policy Forum, I am ending both. Thank you all!"Earlier in the day, the chief executive of 3M announced he was also resigning from the president's panel, saying it is no longer an effective forum for the company to advance its goals.In a statement, Thulin says: "Sustainability, diversity and inclusion are my personal values and also fundamental to the 3M Vision. The past few months have provided me with an opportunity to reflect upon my commitment to these values."Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, announced his resignation Tuesday, a day after a raft of departures by CEOs heading large U.S. corporations.The heads of pharmaceutical giant Merck, the sports gear company Under Armour and the tech firm Intel decided to leave the advisory council. Trump initially criticized the violence on many sides, rather than singling out the white supremacists. The president on Monday later said condemned groups tied to racism.for more stories, photos, and video on President Donald Trump. </s> Moments after the CEO of Camden-based Campbell Soup Company resigned from President Donald Trump's Manufacturing Jobs Initiative panel, Trump announced he was ending a pair of White House advisory councils that were staffed by corporate chief executives.CEOs have been resigning since Saturday, when Trump blamed both sides for the weekend violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, between white supremacists and counterprotesters. The resignation accelerated after Trump on Tuesday again blamed "both sides."Trump says on Twitter that "rather than putting pressure on the businesspeople of the Manufacturing Council & Strategy & Policy Forum, I am ending both. Thank you all!""Racism and murder are unequivocally reprehensible and are not morally equivalent to anything else that happened in Charlottestville," a statement from Campbell's CEO Denise Morrison read on Wednesday afternoon."I believe the President should have been - and still needs to be - unambiguous on that point. Following yesterday's remarks from the President, I cannot remain on the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative. I will continue to support all efforts to spur economic growth and advocate for the values that have always made America great."Morrison's resignation was the sixth following Trump's comments on the violence in Virginia.Earlier in the day, the chief executive of 3M announced he was also resigning from the president's panel, saying it is no longer an effective forum for the company to advance its goals.In a statement, Thulin says: "Sustainability, diversity and inclusion are my personal values and also fundamental to the 3M Vision. The past few months have provided me with an opportunity to reflect upon my commitment to these values."Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, announced his resignation Tuesday, a day after a raft of departures by CEOs heading large U.S. corporations.The heads of pharmaceutical giant Merck, the sports gear company Under Armour and the tech firm Intel decided to leave the advisory council. Trump initially criticized the violence on many sides, rather than singling out the white supremacists. The president on Monday later said condemned groups tied to racism.---------- </s> "President and CEO of 3M Inge Thulin is leaving President Donald Trump's Manufacturing Advisory Council, the seventh chief executive to leave," CNBC recently reported.

Thulin's statement on his decision (via CNBC):

"Sustainability, diversity and inclusion are my personal values and also fundamental to the 3M Vision. The past few months have provided me with an opportunity to reflect upon my commitment to these values. I joined the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative in January to advocate for policies that align with our values and encourage even stronger investment and job growth – in order to make the United States stronger, healthier and more prosperous for all people. After careful consideration, I believe the initiative is no longer an effective vehicle for 3M to advance these goals. As a result, today I am resigning from the Manufacturing Advisory Council. At 3M, we will continue to champion an environment that supports sustainability, diversity and inclusion. I am committed to building a company that improves lives in every corner of the world." </s> WASHINGTON D.C. - The fallout from President Trump's response to the Charlottesville tragedy escalated Wednesday as more prominent CEOs quit advising the White House on economic matters and Trump disbanded his manufacturing and business policy councils.

"Rather than putting pressure on the businesspeople of the Manufacturing Council & Strategy & Policy Forum, I am ending both. Thank you all!," Trump tweeted.

Campbell Soup CEO Denise Morrison and 3M CEO Inge Thulin Wednesday joined a growing list of American chief executives who are leaving the president's manufacturing job council, an advisory group the White House formed this year.

Pressure from the business community has been intensifying this week following Trump's widely criticized response to violence that erupted after a neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the weekend.

On Monday, Merck CEO Ken Frazier became the first major American chief executive to speak out against Trump's response, quitting the manufacturing council as "a matter of personal conscience."

Frazier's decision was followed hours later by other CEOs on the council, including Intel and Under Armour.

►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the WZZM 13 app now.

Have a news tip? Email news@wzzm13.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. </s> The fallout from President Trump's response to the Charlottesville tragedy escalated Wednesday as more prominent CEOs quit advising the White House on economic matters and Trump disbanded his manufacturing and business policy councils.

"Rather than putting pressure on the businesspeople of the Manufacturing Council & Strategy & Policy Forum, I am ending both. Thank you all!," Trump tweeted.

Campbell Soup CEO Denise Morrison and 3M CEO Inge Thulin Wednesday joined a growing list of American chief executives who are leaving the president's manufacturing job council, an advisory group the White House formed this year.

Pressure from the business community has been intensifying this week following Trump's widely criticized response to violence that erupted after a neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the weekend.

On Monday, Merck CEO Ken Frazier became the first major American chief executive to speak out against Trump's response, quitting the manufacturing council as "a matter of personal conscience."

Frazier's decision was followed hours later by other CEOs on the council, including Intel and Under Armour.

With the hashtag #Quitthecouncil trending, resignations continued in the last 48 hours as the chief executives of AFL-CIO, 3M, Campbell Soup and Alliance for American Manufacturing also ditched their relationships with the president.

"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," Frazier said. "As CEO of Merck and as a matter of personal conscience, I feel a responsibility to take a stand against intolerance and extremism."

Frazier's resignation prompted an angry rebuke from Trump on Twitter. "Now that Ken Frazier of Merck Pharma has resigned from President's Manufacturing Council, he will have more time to LOWER RIPOFF DRUG PRICES!," Trump tweeted.

But Trump's initial refusal to name the specific hate groups that rallied in Charlottesville moved the other CEOs to walk away while extolling diversity and tolerance as company values.

Others who chose to stick with the councils cited the need to stay engaged with the White House to make meaningful changes. But the steady drumbeat for them to disassociate from Trump was growing daily.

But their resignations may have business motives as well, said Bill Klepper, professor of management at Columbia Business School. "I think they’re finding the cost of alignment with Trump is too high," he said. "They have a social contract to stakeholders (that says here’s what we stand for. These are our core values. Here’s how we’re going to contribute and win as a business in society. And we’re going to do it through ethical principles."

"And lots of things Trump has been doing or not doing come close to violating the social contact," Klepper said. </s> With a string of executives leaving his manufacturing council in the wake of President Trump's controversial remarks about white supremacists, the president is disbanding the group he created in January. Trump said he's also ending his Strategic and Policy Forum, which he formed in December.

"Rather than putting pressure on the businesspeople of the Manufacturing Council & Strategy & Policy Forum, I am ending both. Thank you all!" President Trump said in a tweet.

The move came shortly after two executives — 3M's Inge Thulin and Campbell Soup's Denise Morrison — said on Wednesday that they would be leaving the manufacturing council established by Trump, who has long touted the need to support American manufacturing jobs.

"Racism and murder are unequivocally reprehensible and are not morally equivalent to anything else that happened in Charlottesville", Campbell Soup CEO Denise Morrison stated, referring to Trump's much-criticized response to the white supremacist rally that resulted in the death of a counter-protester over the weekend.

3M President and CEO Inge Thulin said his decision to leave the group followed reflection on the values of "sustainability, diversity and inclusion."

The moves came one day after the resignations of Scott Paul, the president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing; Richard Trumka, the president of the AFL-CIO; and Thea Lee, the AFL-CIO's deputy chief of staff.

"I'm resigning from the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative because it's the right thing for me to do," Paul wrote in a tweet Tuesday morning.

Earlier this week, Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier, Under Armour's Kevin Plank and Intel's Brian Krzanich left the council that was set up by the president's Manufacturing Jobs Initiative.

Over the summer, Tesla founder Elon Musk left both the manufacturing council and the presidential Strategic and Policy Forum, having announced in June that he disagreed with Trump's decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate accord.

Like Musk, Disney CEO Bob Iger resigned from the president's Strategic and Policy Forum over Trump's climate policy. Others who left the group include former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, who cited Trump's executive order on immigration.

Trump's decision to wind down the two groups comes after he struck a defiant tone about the resignations earlier this week, as criticism swirled around his comments that "both sides" were at fault in Charlottesville.

On Monday, Trump said, "Now that Ken Frazier of Merck Pharma has resigned from President's Manufacturing Council,he will have more time to LOWER RIPOFF DRUG PRICES!"

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

When the council was formed back in January, the White House said the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative would allow the president to meet with "some of the world's most successful and creative business leaders to share their experiences and gain their insights." </s> President Trump announced Wednesday he is shutting down two jobs councils, amid a wave of resignations by executives in the wake of the president’s response to the violence in Charlottesville.

"Rather than putting pressure on the businesspeople of the Manufacturing Council & Strategy & Policy Forum, I am ending both. Thank you all!" he wrote on Twitter.

The statement came amid multiple reports that the Strategic and Policy Forum, a group of top business leaders, had already agreed to disband.

This is separate from the manufacturing council which has seen multiple resignations since Trump’s initial weekend comments -- those resignations only accelerated after the president doubled down on his remarks at an impromptu press conference Tuesday.

Trump's decision to end both councils, however, seemed to catch companies off-guard. The exodus from the manufacturing board continued even after Trump's tweet.

The head of United Technologies Greg Hayes announced his resignation minutes after the president's announcement.

And minutes before Trump's tweet, Campbell Soup Company CEO Denise Morrison announced her departure, specifically citing the president's controversial remarks at Trump Tower a day earlier.

She said in a statement: "Racism and murder are unequivocally reprehensible and are not morally equivalent to anything else that happened in Charlottesville. I believe the President should have been – and still needs to be – unambiguous on that point. Following yesterday’s remarks from the President, I cannot remain on the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative."

Inge Thulin, CEO of manufacturing giant 3M, also resigned Wednesday from the council.

The statement said he joined the council to advocate policies that align with the company’s values and encourage job growth but, “After careful consideration, I believe the initiative is no longer an effective vehicle for 3M to advance these goals.”

Six others had resigned from the council since Saturday. Thulin and Morrison, though, were the first to bolt since Trump held his defiant press conference Tuesday defending his original statements on Charlottesville and attacking the “alt-left” for their alleged role in the clashes.

The president said “both sides” share blame, while still condemning neo-Nazis and white supremacists. The comments revived criticism of his original response on Saturday, when Trump blamed "many sides" for the violence, after a car rammed into a crowd of counter-protesters at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., killing one.

The president has fired back at those leaving his manufacturing council, calling them “grandstanders.” Before diving back into the Charlottesville controversy in his remarks Tuesday, Trump said people were quitting the manufacturing board “because they're not taking their job seriously as it pertains to this country.”

“They're having a lot of their product made outside [the U.S.],” he said. “Now, I have to tell you, some of the folks that will leave, they're leaving out of embarrassment because they make their products outside.”

Richard Trumka, the president of the AFL-CIO, and another union leader also quit the council on Tuesday.

Scott Paul of the Alliance for American Manufacturing; Brian Krzanich of Intel; Kenneth Frazier of Merck; and Kevin Plank of Under Armour also announced their departure.
3M CEO Inge Thulin and Campbell CEO Denise Morrison resign from the American Manufacturing Council in protest of Trump's reaction to the alt-right's actions at Charlottesville, Virginia, bringing the total number of resignations this week to 8.