Twenty-First Century Fox Inc. Chief Executive Officer James Murdoch said in a letter to friends that he was concerned about President Donald Trump’s reaction to the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, and that “standing up to Nazis is essential,” the New York Times reported.
The CEO, son of media mogul and high-profile Trump ally Rupert Murdoch, also said he and his wife will donate $1 million to the Anti-Defamation League, “an extraordinary force for vigilance and strength in the face of bigotry,” according to the letter.
“The presence of hate in our society was appallingly laid bare as we watched swastikas brandished on the streets of Charlottesville and acts of brutal terrorism and violence perpetrated by a racist mob,” Murdoch wrote in the letter. “I can’t even believe I have to write this: standing up to Nazis is essential; there are no good Nazis. Or Klansmen, or terrorists. Democrats, Republicans, and others must all agree on this, and it compromises nothing for them to do so.”
The Fox CEO’s letter and donation reflect a widening backlash over Trump’s comments and a deepening rift within the right-wing political movement that has helped make Fox News Channel the most-watched in cable TV news. Earlier this month, Murdoch and his brother Lachlan, executive chairman, said they were committed to making Fox a more diverse organization following a series of sexual harassment scandals, one of which led to the departure of its top-rated host Bill O’Reilly.
The letter and ADL donation also add to moves by executives at top American companies to distance themselves from Trump, who said the violence at Charlottesville should be blamed on both sides, and that there were “very fine people” on both sides. Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said Wednesday the company will donate $1 million each to the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League, which track hate groups.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.
