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Under Armour
 

Under Armour's Kevin Plank became the second CEO to announce Monday that he is leaving President Trump's Manufacturing Jobs Initiative committee in the wake of a white-supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, that turned violent and resulted in the death of a 32-year-old woman and injuries to at least 19 others.

Trump blamed "many sides" for the violence when he spoke Saturday, a stance that prompted even members of his own party to criticize him for his failure to explicitly cite and denounce white supremacists.

On Monday, he read a statement from a teleprompter that included specific references to the "KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other hate groups," saying that they "are repugnant to all that we hold dear as Americans."

His statement came after Kenneth Frazier from the pharmaceutical company Merck -- one of the most prominent African-American CEOs -- announced early Monday morning that he was resigning from the council. "As a matter of personal conscience, I feel a responsibility to take a stand against intolerance and extremism," Frazier tweeted.

Trump responded by attacking him in two tweets, and Frazier stood alone among CEOs in his protest until Under Armour released Plank's statement Monday night.

"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," Plank wrote.


Plank had already faced heat from prominent celebrities with Under Armour endorsement deals, including Stephen Curry, Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson and ballet star Misty Copeland because of Trump. In February, shortly after joining the committee, Plank told CNBC that Trump was a "real asset for the country."

Curry responded by telling the Mercury News, "I agree with that description, if you remove the 'et' from asset."

Plank placed a full-page ad in the Baltimore Sun to explain himself. Part of the open letter said that during the CNBC interview, his "choice of words that did not accurately reflect my intent."

Under Armour's lineup of athletes includes some of the biggest names in sports: Tom Brady, Cam Newton, Michael Phelps, Clayton Kershaw, Bryce Harper, Julio Jones, Jordan Spieth, Lindsey Vonn, Buster Posey and Carey Price.