CEOs Of 2 Major NJ Employers Dump Trump

The head of two major New Jersey employers have become the latest to disassociate themselves from President Donald Trump amid the backlash to his response to the Charlottesville, Virginia, violence.

Just hours after reaffirming her commitment to stay on Trump's Manufacturing Jobs Initiative Council, Camden-based Campbell Soup CEO Denise Morrison announced she was stepping down from the advisory group. CEO Alex Gorsky of New Brunswick-based Johnson and Johnson soon followed, saying he was stepping down.

Just minutes after Morrison and Gorsky's announcements, the council and another Trump CEO advisory group, the Strategy And Policy Forum, disbanded.

Just before Trump's tweet, Morris said racism and murder "are unequivocally reprehensible and are not morally equivalent to anything else that happened in Charlottesville."

Morrison was referring to Trump's statements on Saturday and Tuesday in which he said "many sides" are to blame for the violence between the KKK and Neo-Nazis and the counter-protesters, and he seemed to legitimize white supremacists when he said there are "many fine people" on both sides.

"I believe the president should have been - and still needs to be - unambiguous on that point," Morrison said. "Following yesterday's remarks from the president, I cannot reman 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."

Trump Goes After Former Members Of His Advisory Council

Gorsky said the president's most recent statement "equating those who are motivated by race-based hate with those who stand up against hatred is unacceptable."

Morrison and Gorsky were among at least 10 people who announced they were stepping down from the council following the president's remarks.

Patch file photo