• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
LeadershipMost Powerful Women

Meg Whitman Makes a Thinly Veiled Jab at Donald Trump

By
Valentina Zarya
Valentina Zarya
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Valentina Zarya
Valentina Zarya
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 15, 2017, 1:01 PM ET
Women in Technology Conference
Photograph by Andy Cross Denver Post via Getty Images

Meg Whitman, CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, has never been one to shy away from criticism of Donald Trump. So her remarks about his handling of Charlottesville shouldn’t raise too many eyebrows.

In a LinkedIn post published Monday, Whitman made a thinly veiled jab at the President, who took two days to denounce white supremacy groups who organized in rally in Charlottesville, Va. over the weekend.

She wrote:

“I support Ken Frazier’s decision. I’m thankful we have business leaders such as Ken to remind America of its better angels. Americans expect their political leaders to denounce white supremacists by name. Hate must not be given refuge in America.”

Subscribe to the Broadsheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter on powerful women.

Trump had initially categorized the rally as being the fault of “all sides.” His remarks were so uncritical of white supremacy groups that the extremist website The Daily Stormer praised his initial comments: “Trump comments were good. He didn’t attack us. He just said the nation should come together. Nothing specific against us…He said he loves us all.”

Trump later made a more concrete statement, saying that “those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the K.K.K., neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other hate groups.”

In her post, Whitman refers to the decision of Merck CEO Ken Frazier to step down from Trump’s American Manufacturing Council after Trump’s mild response to the Charlottesville rally.

“America’s leaders must honor our fundamental views 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 posted on Twitter.

Three other CEOs have followed in Frazier’s footsteps in resigning from the council: Intel (INTC) CEO Brian Krzanich, Under Armour (UAA)CEO Kevin Plank, and head of the Alliance for American Manufacturing Scott Paul. More than a dozen leaders remain on the council.

About the Author
By Valentina Zarya
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

The power has swung back to employers—and workers are paying for it in benefits, flexibility, and leverage
Workplace Culturecompany culture
The power has swung back to employers—and workers are paying for it in benefits, flexibility, and leverage
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezApril 17, 2026
40 minutes ago
Jack Dorsey, the CEO of Block
SuccessLayoffs
Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey breaks down his thought process when he laid off 40% of his Block staff because of AI
By Emma BurleighApril 17, 2026
2 hours ago
She learned accounting before she was a teenager. Now she’s bringing Wall Street to the blockchain
NewslettersMPW Daily
She learned accounting before she was a teenager. Now she’s bringing Wall Street to the blockchain
By Sheryl EstradaApril 17, 2026
2 hours ago
Pope Leo XIV waves
SuccessWealth
Pope Leo warned the world is in ‘big trouble’ if Elon Musk becomes the first trillionaire
By Preston ForeApril 17, 2026
8 hours ago
The first wave of bank earnings shows why ‘resilience’ is Wall Street’s favorite word
NewslettersCEO Daily
The first wave of bank earnings shows why ‘resilience’ is Wall Street’s favorite word
By Diane BradyApril 17, 2026
8 hours ago
Man in a suit and tie
C-SuiteInvestment
One man can kill Bill Ackman’s $64 billion bid for Universal Music Group — and no one knows what he’ll do
By Amanda GerutApril 17, 2026
10 hours ago

Most Popular

A world going broke: IMF says America's $39 trillion national debt is actually a global problem—and AI may be the only rescue
Economy
A world going broke: IMF says America's $39 trillion national debt is actually a global problem—and AI may be the only rescue
By Nick LichtenbergApril 16, 2026
22 hours ago
Pope Leo warned the world is in ‘big trouble’ if Elon Musk becomes the first trillionaire
Success
Pope Leo warned the world is in ‘big trouble’ if Elon Musk becomes the first trillionaire
By Preston ForeApril 17, 2026
8 hours ago
Jeff Bezos pledged $10 billion for climate change. With the 2030 clock ticking, his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, is leading the charge to spend it
Environment
Jeff Bezos pledged $10 billion for climate change. With the 2030 clock ticking, his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, is leading the charge to spend it
By Sydney LakeApril 15, 2026
2 days ago
Germany already told its workers to ditch four-day weeks and work-life balance. Now the government wants to cut their pay for calling in sick, too
Success
Germany already told its workers to ditch four-day weeks and work-life balance. Now the government wants to cut their pay for calling in sick, too
By Orianna Rosa RoyleApril 16, 2026
1 day ago
MacKenzie Scott is bypassing the Ivy League and rewriting the $79 billion higher ed playbook by giving to HBCUs and community colleges
Politics
MacKenzie Scott is bypassing the Ivy League and rewriting the $79 billion higher ed playbook by giving to HBCUs and community colleges
By Sydney LakeApril 16, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of April 16, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of April 16, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerApril 16, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.