Under Armour founder and CEO Kevin Plank announced he is stepping down from President Donald Trump’s American Manufacturing Council.
Plank, a University of Maryland alumnus, released a statement Monday night saying “we remain resolute in our potential and ability to improve American manufacturing. However, Under Armour engages in innovation and sports, not politics.”
“I am appreciative of the opportunity to have served,” the statement read. “I love our country and our company and will continue to focus my efforts on inspiring every person that they can do anything through the power of sport which promotes unity, diversity and inclusion.”
I love our country & company. I am stepping down from the council to focus on inspiring & uniting through power of sport. – CEO Kevin Plank pic.twitter.com/8YvndJMjj1
— Under Armour (@UnderArmour) August 15, 2017
Plank did not cite a specific reason for his decision to leave the council, but he is not the first CEO to step down from the body this week. Kenneth Frazier, CEO of pharmaceutical company Merck and the council’s only black member, resigned on Monday afternoon after Trump’s initial failure to denounce Saturday’s white nationalist protests in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Now that Ken Frazier of Merck Pharma has resigned from President’s Manufacturing Council,he will have more time to LOWER RIPOFF DRUG PRICES! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2017
Intel CEO Brian Krzanich announced late Monday that he would also be leaving the council “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 wrote in a statement.