Michael Hiltzik: Some led, some followed: Ranking the CEOs by how long it took them to bail on Trump
President Donald Trump's announcement Wednesday that he was dissolving his two major councils of business leaders undoubtedly brought a sense of relief to many of the member CEOs _ they wouldn't have to stick their necks out to resign publicly, thereby risking an angry response from the Tweeter-in-Chief.
Those who waited until then to publicly declare their dismay at Trump's remarks Tuesday expressing sympathy and support for the Nazis and white supremacists who marched through Charlottesville, Va., chanting anti-Semitic and racist slogans, don't deserve much credit. But those who distanced themselves from Trump earlier, some even before Charlottesville, do. It's proper to note that Trump's remarks about Charlottesville weren't the only opportunity for business leaders to show moral courage. Before then, there were his policies and statements on immigration, climate change, NATO and health care.
Among business leaders, as among people in all walks of life, one finds leaders, followers, those who wait to see which way the wind blows before acting and those who remind us of Gilbert
