President Donald Trump is abandoning his plans to form an infrastructure advisory council.

It’s the third such industry council to be eliminated by the White House this week after the backlash to the president’s comments blaming “both sides” for the recent violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The White House says in a statement Thursday that the infrastructure council, which was still being formed, “will not move forward.”

The administration said Wednesday it was ending two other advisory councils made up primarily of business leaders, the Manufacturing Council and the Strategy & Policy Forum. The decision followed a series of announcements by CEOs that they were quitting the councils following Trump’s remarks. </s> The move comes a day after Trump disbanded two other councils -- the Manufacturing Council and the Strategy & Policy Forum -- after business leaders, CEOs and union leaders began fleeing the groups in response to the President blaming "both sides" for violence in Charlottesville, Virginia . The councils were largely undermined by the departures but Trump tweeted that he was disbanding the panels rather than pressuring business leaders to stay.

Trump's infrastructure council was still being formed but the President decided to end the process, the official said. No reason was given.

"The President has announced the end of the Manufacturing Council and the Strategy & Policy Forum. In addition, the President's Advisory Council on Infrastructure, which was still being formed, will not move forward," the official said.

RELATED: Donald Trump's 7th-grade reaction to the country's CEOs quitting his council Trump was initially defiant when some business leaders indicated they would leave the councils. "For every CEO that drops out of the Manufacturing Council, I have many to take their place. Grandstanders should not have gone on," Trump tweeted after a few departures. "JOBS!" When more business leaders left, Trump pulled the plug. "Rather than putting pressure on the businesspeople of the Manufacturing Council & Strategy & Policy Forum, I am ending both," he wrote. "Thank you all!" Trump established his infrastructure council by signing the "Presidential Executive Order Establishing a Presidential Advisory Council on Infrastructure" on July 19 The council, per the order, would "study the scope and effectiveness of, and make findings and recommendations to the President regarding, federal government funding, support, and delivery of infrastructure projects in several sectors, including surface transportation, aviation, ports and waterways, water resources, renewable energy generation, electricity transmission, broadband, pipelines, and other such sectors as determined by the Council." Trump promised during the campaign to pass a wholesale infrastructure reform bill as President, but that priority has largely fallen on the back-burner in the White House and on Capitol Hill, where attempts to pass health care and tax reform have been the primary focus. </s> President Donald Trump has announced that he will end two White House business councils amid criticism from CEOs over his comments following the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.Today, the CEO of Campbell Soup Company resigned from President Donald Trump's Manufacturing Jobs Initiative panel, saying she believes the president should have been unambiguous after the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia."Racism and murder are unequivocally reprehensible and are not morally equivalent to anything else that happened in Charlottestville," a statement from Campbell's CEO Denise Morrison read on Wednesday afternoon."I believe the President should have been - and still needs to be - unambiguous on that point. Following yesterday's remarks from the President, I cannot remain on the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative. I will continue to support all efforts to spur economic growth and advocate for the values that have always made America great."Morrison's resignation is one of several following President Donald Trump's comments after the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.Moments after Morrison's announcement, Trump tweeted the end of two councils: "Rather than putting pressure on the businesspeople of the Manufacturing Council & Strategy & Policy Forum, I am ending both. Thank you all!"Earlier in the day, the chief executive of 3M announced he was also resigning from the president's panel, saying it is no longer an effective forum for the company to advance its goals.In a statement, Thulin says: "Sustainability, diversity and inclusion are my personal values and also fundamental to the 3M Vision. The past few months have provided me with an opportunity to reflect upon my commitment to these values."Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, announced his resignation Tuesday, a day after a raft of departures by CEOs heading large U.S. corporations.The heads of pharmaceutical giant Merck, the sports gear company Under Armour and the tech firm Intel decided to leave the advisory council. Trump initially criticized the violence on many sides, rather than singling out the white supremacists. The president on Monday later said condemned groups tied to racism.for more stories, photos, and video on President Donald Trump. </s> How did President Trump’s two business advisory councils fall apart so quickly?

It started with one CEO standing up to Trump. The rest soon followed him out the door.

After a group of white supremacists rallied in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday, killing a counter-protester, President Trump delivered controversial remarks the next day.

His speech drew widespread criticism. Many faulted him for his late response and for not denouncing the white supremacists by name.

–8 a.m. ET: Merck CEO Ken Frazier, one of very few black Fortune 500 CEOs, took the first step. He stepped down from President Trump’s manufacturing council, saying “America’s leaders must honor our fundamental values by clearly rejecting expressions of hatred, bigotry and group supremacy.”

–8:54 a.m.: Trump tweets that Frazier will now “have more time to LOWER RIPOFF DRUG PRICES!”

–1 p.m.: The president delivers a speech in which he calls the KKK, neo-Nazis and white supremacists ‘repugnant.’

–11:37 a.m.: Scott Paul, president of Alliance for American Manufacturing, resigns.

–On Tuesday afternoon, Trump gave a news conference inside Trump Tower. Trump reiterated his earlier position on the weekend saying: “I think there is blame on both sides.”

–5:45 p.m.: Richard Trumka, president of the labor group AFL-CIO and Thea Lee, economist at the AFL-CIO, resign.

–1:14 p.m.: Trump tweets, announcing he was dissolving both the manufacturing council and economic advisory council: “Rather than putting pressure on the businesspeople of the Manufacturing Council & Strategy & Policy Forum, I am ending both. Thank you all!”

–1:20 p.m.: United Technologies CEO Greg Hayes puts out a statement, explaining his exit from the manufacturing council.

–1:30 p.m.: Alex Gorsky, CEO of Johnson & Johnson releases a statement about why he resigned.

–2 p.m.: General Electric’s Jeff Immelt issues a statement on his decision to leave the council. </s> President Trump announced Wednesday he is shutting down two jobs councils, amid a wave of resignations by executives in the wake of the president’s response to the violence in Charlottesville.

"Rather than putting pressure on the businesspeople of the Manufacturing Council & Strategy & Policy Forum, I am ending both. Thank you all!" he wrote on Twitter.

The statement came amid multiple reports that the Strategic and Policy Forum, a group of top business leaders, had already agreed to disband.

This is separate from the manufacturing council which has seen multiple resignations since Trump’s initial weekend comments -- those resignations only accelerated after the president doubled down on his remarks at an impromptu press conference Tuesday.

Trump's decision to end both councils, however, seemed to catch companies off-guard. The exodus from the manufacturing board continued even after Trump's tweet.

The head of United Technologies Greg Hayes announced his resignation minutes after the president's announcement.

And minutes before Trump's tweet, Campbell Soup Company CEO Denise Morrison announced her departure, specifically citing the president's controversial remarks at Trump Tower a day earlier.

She said in a statement: "Racism and murder are unequivocally reprehensible and are not morally equivalent to anything else that happened in Charlottesville. I believe the President should have been – and still needs to be – unambiguous on that point. Following yesterday’s remarks from the President, I cannot remain on the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative."

Inge Thulin, CEO of manufacturing giant 3M, also resigned Wednesday from the council.

The statement said he joined the council to advocate policies that align with the company’s values and encourage job growth but, “After careful consideration, I believe the initiative is no longer an effective vehicle for 3M to advance these goals.”

Six others had resigned from the council since Saturday. Thulin and Morrison, though, were the first to bolt since Trump held his defiant press conference Tuesday defending his original statements on Charlottesville and attacking the “alt-left” for their alleged role in the clashes.

The president said “both sides” share blame, while still condemning neo-Nazis and white supremacists. The comments revived criticism of his original response on Saturday, when Trump blamed "many sides" for the violence, after a car rammed into a crowd of counter-protesters at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., killing one.

The president has fired back at those leaving his manufacturing council, calling them “grandstanders.” Before diving back into the Charlottesville controversy in his remarks Tuesday, Trump said people were quitting the manufacturing board “because they're not taking their job seriously as it pertains to this country.”

“They're having a lot of their product made outside [the U.S.],” he said. “Now, I have to tell you, some of the folks that will leave, they're leaving out of embarrassment because they make their products outside.”

Richard Trumka, the president of the AFL-CIO, and another union leader also quit the council on Tuesday.

Scott Paul of the Alliance for American Manufacturing; Brian Krzanich of Intel; Kenneth Frazier of Merck; and Kevin Plank of Under Armour also announced their departure. </s> With at least five executives leaving his manufacturing council in the wake of President Trump's contentious remarks about white supremacists, the president is ending the group he created in January. Trump said he's also ending his strategy and policy forum, which he formed in December.

"Rather than putting pressure on the businesspeople of the Manufacturing Council & Strategy & Policy Forum, I am ending both. Thank you all!" President Trump said in a tweet.

The move came shortly after two executives — 3M's Inge Thulin and Campbell Soup's Denise Morrison — said on Wednesday that they would be leaving the manufacturing council established by Trump, who has long touted the need to support American manufacturing jobs.

"Racism and murder are unequivocally reprehensible and are not morally equivalent to anything else that happened in Charlottesville", Campbell Soup CEO Denise Morrison stated, referring to Trump's much-criticized response to the white supremacist rally that resulted in the death of a counter-protester over the weekend.

3M President and CEO Inge Thulin said his decision to leave the group followed reflection on the values of "sustainability, diversity and inclusion."

The moves came one day after the resignations of Scott Paul, the president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing; Richard Trumka, the president of the AFL-CIO; and Thea Lee, the AFL-CIO's deputy chief of staff.

"I'm resigning from the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative because it's the right thing for me to do," Paul wrote in a tweet Tuesday morning.

Trump's decision to wind down the group comes after he struck a defiant tone about the resignations this week.

On Monday, Trump said, "Now that Ken Frazier of Merck Pharma has resigned from President's Manufacturing Council,he will have more time to LOWER RIPOFF DRUG PRICES!"

On Tuesday, Trump stated, "For every CEO that drops out of the Manufacturing Council, I have many to take their place. Grandstanders should not have gone on. JOBS!"

When the council was formed back in January, the White House said the the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative would allow the president to meet with "some of the world's most successful and creative business leaders to share their experiences and gain their insights." </s> President Donald Trump says he’s ending a pair of White House advisory councils that were staffed by corporate chief executives.

CEOs have been resigning since Saturday, when Trump blamed both sides for the weekend violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, between white supremacists and counterprotesters. The resignation accelerated after Trump on Tuesday again blamed “both sides.”

Trump says on Twitter that “rather than putting pressure on the businesspeople of the Manufacturing Council & Strategy & Policy Forum, I am ending both. Thank you all!” </s> With a string of executives leaving his manufacturing council in the wake of President Trump's controversial remarks about white supremacists, the president is disbanding the group he created in January. Trump said he's also ending his Strategic and Policy Forum, which he formed in December.

"Rather than putting pressure on the businesspeople of the Manufacturing Council & Strategy & Policy Forum, I am ending both. Thank you all!" President Trump said in a tweet.

The move came shortly after two executives — 3M's Inge Thulin and Campbell Soup's Denise Morrison — said on Wednesday that they would be leaving the manufacturing council established by Trump, who has long touted the need to support American manufacturing jobs.

"Racism and murder are unequivocally reprehensible and are not morally equivalent to anything else that happened in Charlottesville", Campbell Soup CEO Denise Morrison stated, referring to Trump's much-criticized response to the white supremacist rally that resulted in the death of a counter-protester over the weekend.

3M President and CEO Inge Thulin said his decision to leave the group followed reflection on the values of "sustainability, diversity and inclusion."

The moves came one day after the resignations of Scott Paul, the president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing; Richard Trumka, the president of the AFL-CIO; and Thea Lee, the AFL-CIO's deputy chief of staff.

"I'm resigning from the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative because it's the right thing for me to do," Paul wrote in a tweet Tuesday morning.

Earlier this week, Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier, Under Armour's Kevin Plank and Intel's Brian Krzanich left the council that was set up by the president's Manufacturing Jobs Initiative.

Over the summer, Tesla founder Elon Musk left both the manufacturing council and the presidential Strategic and Policy Forum, having announced in June that he disagreed with Trump's decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate accord.

Like Musk, Disney CEO Bob Iger resigned from the president's Strategic and Policy Forum over Trump's climate policy. Others who left the group include former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, who cited Trump's executive order on immigration.

Trump's decision to wind down the two groups comes after he struck a defiant tone about the resignations earlier this week, as criticism swirled around his comments that "both sides" were at fault in Charlottesville.

On Monday, Trump said, "Now that Ken Frazier of Merck Pharma has resigned from President's Manufacturing Council,he will have more time to LOWER RIPOFF DRUG PRICES!"

On Tuesday, Trump stated, "For every CEO that drops out of the Manufacturing Council, I have many to take their place. Grandstanders should not have gone on. JOBS!"

When the council was formed back in January, the White House said the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative would allow the president to meet with "some of the world's most successful and creative business leaders to share their experiences and gain their insights." </s> The members of Trump's main business council discussed disbanding the group entirely according to multiple reports.

According to the New York Times' David Gelles, Landon Thomas Jr., and Kate Kelly, the members of the Strategic and Policy Forum held a phone call on Wednesday to discuss the future of the council and their relationship with the White House.

The discussion comes two days after the departure of Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier from Trump's manufacturing council, another one of the White House's meetings of business leaders, set off a wave of departures from that group. Frazier and other business leaders cited Trump's muddled response to the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia as the impetus for the exits.

The Strategic and Policy Forum features a diverse group of leaders including JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, General Motors CEO Mary Barra, and Walmart CEO Doug McMillon. Steve Schwarzman, CEO of private equity giant Blackstone, is the leader of the council.

According to the Times, even if the group did not disband, a number of executives said they would depart from the council.

Trump, for his part, attacked those executives who left the manufacturing council calling them "grandstanders" and saying they were "embarrassed" because they manufactured their products outside of the US.

The manufacturing council is expected to hold a similar phone call as the Strategic Forum's later on Wednesday.
President Donald Trump has ended his planned Presidential Advisory Council on Infrastructure after only a month, coming a day after two other advisory councils, the Strategic and Policy Forum and the American Manufacturing Council, were scrapped. No reason was given.