Microsoft quits Trump's digital advisory board

Donald Trump’s administration has become increasingly isolated as even those who previously reluctantly associated with the White House in an attempt to influence its course have now worked to rapidly distance themselves from what is looking increasingly like a sinking ship.

The latest to go overboard was Microsoft president and legal chief Brad Smith, who left the US government’s digital economy advisory board over President Trump’s inability to unequivocally condemn racists.

A spokesman for Microsoft said,  “Effective today, Brad is no longer a member of the group.”

He joins a host of other erstwhile members, including executive chairwoman of the Mozilla Foundation Mitchell Baker; president of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Karen Bartleson; Sonia Katyal, a professor of law at the University of California; CEO of the Markle Foundation Zoë Baird; Greg Becker, CEO of Silicon Valley Bank; Oisin Hanrahan, CEO of Handy; and Corey Thomas, CEO of Rapid7.

Others believed to have resigned include  David Cohen, a Comcast senior veep; James Manyika, a director at McKinseys; and Marta Tellado, CEO of Consumer Reports.

Zoë Baird, a co-chairs of the advisory board, said “It is the moral responsibility of our leaders to unite Americans by respecting the diversity and inclusion that enables our country to generate new opportunity and celebrate freedom. In order to preserve these cherished values, there must never be equivocation in denouncing hate, bigotry, violence, and racism.”

Mitchell Baker, the other co-chair, wrote “It is the responsibility of leaders to take action and lift up each and every American. Our leaders must unequivocally denounce bigotry, racism, sexism, hate, and violence.”

The resignations follow the disbandment of two presidential action committees – the manufacturing council and the strategy and policy forum, the presidential arts and humanities committee and pastor A.R. Bernard resignation from the Evangelic Council, leaving those who remain in Trump’s service increasingly looking more like loyalists, adherents and followers than simply patriots doing their duty.