CEO Faces Backlash After Speaking Out on Trump Assassination Attempt

CEOs speak out against Trump assassination attempt -- and get trolled

Good morning. The attempted assassination of Donald Trump this weekend prompted a number of CEOs to speak out on social media site X. There were statements from Amazon's Andy Jassy, Marc Benioff of Salesforce, Qualcomm's Cristiano Amon, Satya Nadella of Microsoft, GM's Mary Barra, Tim Cook of Apple, Michael Dell, Intel's Pat Gelsinger and Sam Altman of OpenAI, among others. The common thread was relief that the former president survived and a condemnation of violence. CEO Elon Musk also responded to the tragic attack by endorsing Trump, as did Pershing Square CEO Bill Ackman. Is this a moment that calls for business leaders to make themselves heard? Absolutely, according to Simon Freakley, CEO of consulting firm AlixPartners. "This is a dramatic reminder that we are heading for a very challenging time, whoever wins the election," Freakley argues, "CEOs have to be a voice of reason and stability, without being partisan. Employees will look to business leaders for reassurance." That said, even neutral messages are being weaponized in this environment. Internet trolls had a field day responding with insults to the largely innocuous posts listed above. Several leaders I contacted didn't want to comment, telling me it's an internal communications issue or a national crisis that shouldn't be used to draw attention to their companies. Fair points. Nobody would dispute that this was a tragedy and a failure of security. The risk now is that people on each side of the political spectrum might fear the other is out to destroy them. Our presidential candidates might fan those flames instead of addressing key issues and concerns about their ability to do the job. And business leaders might do the same. Bill Ackman, for example, has spent his career taking positions in public companies, backed up by research and reasoned arguments. He's talked to me and other journalists over the years to explain his side of the story on a range of issues. Most recently, he's been outspoken on issues stemming from the Israel-Hamas war. Instead of condemning violence and trying to reduce extremism after the attack on Trump, Ackman instead told his followers on X that "mainstream media" can't be trusted, as "media organizations are like sports teams that run plays chosen by their owners and executed by the coaches they hire." That's not true -- here or at any of the other media organizations where I've worked. We don't always get it right and should be held accountable when we get it wrong. But our job is to speak to people of all persuasions to get news and insights that our audience needs to know. Right now, most business leaders are trying to find common ground and reinforce shared values, instead of the hyperbole and demonization that threaten to rip the country apart. There are countries where political opponents and their supporters face violence for exercising their democratic rights. This country is not supposed to be one of them. The offspring of corporate titans are now taking leadership roles at companies: Take David Ellison, son of Oracle founder Larry Ellison, who's CEO-in-waiting of the merged Skydance-Paramount entity. Experts say "nepo CEOs" must show a willingness to listen, without undermining their own experience and credibility. And second-generation CEOs also could have advantages when it comes to relationships and networking, learned from osmosis from their parents. Fortune China's sluggish growth China's economy grew at a slower-than-forecast 4.7% annual rate in the second quarter of the year, which economists blame on weak consumer demand. "Domestic demand is insufficient, [and] enterprises are under great operating pressure," the National Bureau of Statistics said in a statement. China's leaders are gathering for a four-day meeting that is expected to lay out the country's long-term economic strategy. The Associated Press Work-from-home sticks around The Labor Department's Annual Time Use Survey reports that 35% of U.S. workers did some or all their work from home last year, barely changed from 34% in 2022. The rate was 24% in 2019. Remote work and flexible schedules are now firmly ingrained in U.S. professional life, despite calls from managers and bosses for workers to spend more time in the office. Fortune OpenAI announced a new scale to track AI progress. But wait -- where is AGI? by Sharon Goldman Fired airline executive collects more than $1 million after getting the ax -- and keeps his platinum travel status by Amanda Gerut Fatphobia is back with a vengeance among Gen Z girls. Here's how slang like 'big back' and 'fatty' is damaging, say experts by Beth Greenfield Millennials and Gen X will inherit $83.5 trillion in the next two decades -- but not before spouses of the wealthy obtain their $9 trillion by Eleanor Pringle Commentary: Venture capital could be NATO's ultimate weapon. Here's why by Klaus Hommels and Fiona Murray Tubi's CEO credits being promoted to Vimeo's top job at just 33 years old for being totally at ease running America's most-watched free TV service by Orianna Rosa Royle This edition of CEO Daily was curated by Nicholas Gordon.

📬 Daily Brief: A politically violent weekend

The U.S. Republican National Convention kicks off today in Milwaukee. Donald Trump is expected to accept the party's nomination this week after an assassination attempt on the former president at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. The leaders of the world's biggest and most influential companies said political violence in the U.S. is undermining democracy. Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk were among the tech leaders who responded to Saturday's attack. The assassination attempt sent Bitcoin surging. The cryptocurrency jumped past $60,000 over the weekend as analysts predict that traders think Trump's chances of getting elected are more likely after the attack. Meanwhile, investors will likely turn to more safe-haven assets like gold and the Swiss franc amid the instability. Netflix's stock is outperforming most of the "Magnificent Seven." Big Tech shares (barring Meta and Nvidia) haven't kept up with the streaming service's 34% rise this year. A U.S. oil giant got slapped with a historic fine for polluting Native land. The Justice Department reached a $240 million settlement with Marathon Oil for contaminating North Dakota's air. McDonald's $5 meal deal is working. Foot traffic at the chain has seen a significant uptick after the bundle was launched. More people than ever are climbing aboard huge cruise ships that are decked out with far more than water slides these days (think parks with 30,000 plants and rooms that cost $11,000 a night). But in the fine print of the cruise line's terms may be a hidden expense: medical bills. In the worst case scenario, vacationers could be forced to pay thousands of dollars before they're even allowed to leave the ship. Here are some digits to mull: 34.7 million: People expected to take a cruise this year $2,500: Bill one man had to pay in 2022 before exiting a cruise ship to receive care on land 95%: Share of conditions reported to cruise medical staff that are treated on deck $20,000 to $100,000: Approximate cost of air medical evacuations from cruise sites The reason behind the high costs is that cruise ships largely don't accept health insurance. Curious why? Quartz's Bruce Gil looked into it. Most people have to fly to the destination where a cruise starts to get onboard, and if they've racked up enough miles on their airline credit cards, it might have even been paid for. But why did airlines build out a credit card business line in the first place? And how did credit rewards come to make sky-high profits -- and draw ire from the U.S. federal government? Rocio Fabbro, the host of season 8 of the Quartz Obsession podcast, asks these questions to Brian Kelly, the Founder of The Points Guy, in episode four -- Airline credit cards: The high-flying loyalty game. 👿 5 cryptocurrency villains who tainted the crypto world's image 🍷 The most expensive bottles of liquor ever sold 🩺 Ozempic and other weight loss drugs pose new risks for surgery, Europe warns 🛒 Amazon launched an AI shopping assistant -- just in time for Prime Day 🚽 15 of the worst places to stop on a road trip 🇫🇷 Delta Air Lines says the Olympics will cost it $100 million because no one wants to visit Paris now Tesla's factory in Germany is missing 65,000 coffee cups. Mugs are probably the least of the gigafactory's worries. Scientists with the European Space Agency made Lego-like bricks out of meteorite dust. The 3D-printed material is being tested as a possible means to build structures on the satellite. And if you want to live in those structures, a new spacesuit design can turn your urine into water. The purification process takes less than five minutes. Kale isn't as popular as it seems. Spinach is still king of the leafy greens. High-protein food is now a $30 billion business in the U.S. Millennial shoppers and weight loss drugs are fueling the craze. Did you know we have two premium weekend emails, too? One gives you analysis on the week's news, and one provides the best reads from Quartz and elsewhere to get your week started right. Become a member or give membership as a gift! Our best wishes on a safe start to the day. Send any news, comments, Tesla coffee mugs, and bunches of kale to [email protected]. Today's Daily Brief was brought to you by Morgan Haefner.