"A carousel of CEOs has paraded through the White House since President Trump was elected a little over a year ago-they even made up a front-row bench at his inauguration. This isn't unusual; in fact, it's entirely expected that the president might want to engage with the private sector. But when does that relationship get too close for comfort?The nature of the relationships between top brass at America's largest business and the Oval Office is beginning to make some people uncomfortable:"
"'I'm close to this administration, but does that mean the next administration is going to grant a favor to one of my competitors, or take a favor away from me, because I don't support them publicly?' This second-guessing isn't conducive to decision-making, Griffin added: 'Most CEOs just don't want to find themselves in the business of having to, in some sense, suck up to one administration after another to succeed in running their business.'"
"An environment addled by politics isn't one most CEOs relish, Griffin, 57, told the Wall Street Journal's Invest Live conference yesterday. He said founders and leaders 'want to go run our businesses and win on the merits of providing a better customer to our products at a lower price. Like that's how we win.'"
A steady stream of top CEOs visiting the White House has raised concerns about excessive closeness between corporate leaders and the Oval Office. Citadel CEO Ken Griffin warned that government engagement that "tastes of favoritism" makes many executives uncomfortable and can undermine the American Dream. Recent trading volatility under Trump 2.0 and requests for exceptions after the Liberation Day announcement exemplify how politics has disrupted markets and boardroom decision-making. Executives say they want to compete on merit—offering better products at lower prices—rather than depending on political favors. Persistent second-guessing about future administrations' treatment of companies hampers clear business planning.
Read at Fortune
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