Trump Blasts Merck CEO After He Quits White House Panel Over Charlottesville Response
In a quick response to the announcement from Merck's chief Kenneth Frazier, the president tweeted that the decision would give Frazier “more time to LOWER RIPOFF DRUG PRICES!"
Stat:
7 Things To Know About The Pharma CEO Who Incurred Trump's Wrath
[Kenneth] Frazier, the CEO of drug giant Merck, announced that he was resigning from a council of business leaders advising Trump, citing “a responsibility to take a stand against violence and extremism” after Trump’s failure to denounce the actions of white nationalists in Charlottesville, Va., over the weekend. Within an hour, Trump personally rebuked him on Twitter, saying Frazier’s departure would give him “more time to LOWER RIPOFF DRUG PRICES!” And at the end of the day, in another tweet, Trump added another accusation: “taking jobs out of the U.S. Bring jobs back & LOWER PRICES!” (Robbins, 8/14)
The Washington Post:
Merck CEO Takes A Stand And Draws Trump’s Ire
It is unclear whether Trump’s tweet could portend negative repercussions for Merck or the pharmaceutical industry generally. Trump has repeatedly promised to bring down drug prices and has used harsh language to describe the industry, but has not taken any strong actions. (Johnson and McGregor, 8/14)