The Patriot Post® · Trump Loses the Business Class

Lost in the fog of the controversy over Charlottesville this week was a seemingly small but significant development: the disbanding of two of Donald Trump’s economic advisory councils. Trump tweeted, “Rather than putting pressure on the businesspeople of the Manufacturing Council & Strategy & Policy Forum, I am ending both. Thank you all!” Both councils had already lost several members, who publicly objected to Trump’s response to Charlottesville, and the strategy and policy council had notified Trump that is was disbanding on its own.

As The Hill reports, “The controversy that plagues the president proved too much for some in business leadership, who have carefully cultivated images as socially conscious leaders trying to make the world a better place through corporate positions.” That’s a polite way of saying these CEOs are subject to leftist boycotts and trashing at the hands of social justice warriors. And with Charlottesville, the Leftmedia threw gas on the fire, practically extorting these businesses to stand against Trump by deliberately distorting the meaning of his remarks. The CEOs thus couldn’t subject their companies or shareholders to the ensuing firestorm if they didn’t object. The Boy Scouts board suffered similar pressure over the issue of the gay merit badge.

Unfortunately, rather than defending these corporations at risk of boycott at the hands of intolerant leftists, Trump attacked the CEOs as “grandstanders.” And parts of his agenda may suffer. The Hill notes, “Trump's administration is also hoping to pass a sweeping tax reform overhaul in the autumn, which would benefit from unified support among the nation’s top executives.” Instead, he’s chased them off.