Article Lead Image

Photo via Strelka Institute

Uber CEO to leave Trump council following #DeleteUber

The announcement comes after #DeleteUber went viral.

 

Lauren L'Amie

Tech

Posted on Feb 2, 2017   Updated on May 25, 2021, 2:01 am CDT

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick plans to leave President Donald Trump’s economic advisory council, according to an email the chief executive sent to Uber employees on Thursday. 

In the letter, published in full by Recode, Kalanick writes that his joining the advisory council was “not meant to be an endorsement of the President or his agenda but unfortunately it has been misinterpreted to be exactly that.”

Last week, Kalanick faced a wave of harsh criticism from Uber customers and employees for continuing to work with President Trump after he signed an executive order barring Syrian refugees as well as citizens from six other predominantly Muslim countries. 

This announcement follows the viral #DeleteUber campaign, during which thousands on Twitter called for removing the app due to the company’s breaking a taxicab strike in New York City. 

Kalanick’s letter is quick to dissuade the assumption that he supports the Trump administration. 

“The implicit assumption that Uber (or I) was somehow endorsing the Administration’s agenda has created a perception-reality gap between who people think we are, and who we actually are,” Kalanick wrote. 

You can read the letter here

Share this article
*First Published: Feb 2, 2017, 6:23 pm CST