Donald Trump Blasts Merck Pharma Executive for ‘Ripoff Drug Prices’ After Quitting Advisory Panel

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the opening of a listening session with manufact
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President Donald Trump criticized Merck Pharma’s Kenneth Frazier after the pharmaceutical executive resigned from Trump’s American Manufacturing Council in protest of his response to the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday.

“Now that Ken Frazier of Merck Pharma has resigned from President’s Manufacturing Council, he will have more time to LOWER RIPOFF DRUG PRICES!” Trump wrote on Twitter.

Frazier resigned from the council, citing his disappointment with Trump’s response after an alt-right rally erupted in violence in Charlottesville.

“America’s leaders must honor our fundamental values by clearly rejecting expressions of hatred, bigotry and group supremacy, which run counter to the American ideal that all people are created equal,” Frazier said in a statement. “As CEO of Merck and as a matter of personal conscience, I feel a responsibility to take a stand against intolerance and extremism.”

Frazier’s decision earned rave reviews from Trump’s critics, including former National Security Advisor for President Barack Obama Susan Rice.

“Thanks for standing strong for principle, Ken,” she wrote on Twitter.

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