BUSINESS INSIDER
A group of former CEOs who led major US companies — including American Airlines, LinkedIn, Xerox, and American Express — made the case for Kamala Harris in an op-ed one week before Election Day.
The 17 business leaders said they were voting for Harris because they thought she’d be better for the economy than former President Donald Trump. They made their case in Fortune on Tuesday.
The group included former LinkedIn CEO Reid Hoffman, former American Airlines CEO Doug Parker, former American Express CEO Ken Chenault, former Sony CEO and current Snap chairman Michael Lynton, and others who led large, publicly traded companies.
“Many Americans continue to believe that the CEOs of the nation’s largest companies are largely Donald Trump supporters — but nothing could be further from the truth,” they wrote.
The group said current CEOs may not be able to speak out publicly because of potential consequences to their businesses. Because of that, they said they felt obligated to speak up as former leaders who are in touch with active CEOs.
They said Trump has taken “extreme anti-business” positions, including proposing “draconian” tariffs on imports. They also criticized Trump’s talk about eliminating the Fed’s independence.
The group said they come from different political backgrounds but are supporting Harris in part because of the state of the US economy. They cited GDP growth, record stock market valuations, wage growth, and employment levels, among other measures.
