Elon Musk Quits Trump's Presidential Councils Over Paris Accord Exit

President Trump has lost the support of a top billionaire business leader over his decision to withdraw from the Paris climate deal.

Elon Musk wrote Thursday on Twitter that he is “departing presidential councils,” something he had vowed to do if Trump took this step.

“Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world,” Musk said.

He is the founder of SpaceX and Tesla, among other companies. He has been a member of Trump’s infrastructure council, manufacturing jobs council, and strategic and policy forum.

Musk’s decision came after Trump announced earlier Thursday that he was pulling the U.S. out of the historic international agreement that set global goals for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. He cited job losses and a lack of fairness in the Paris deal as key reasons to exit and try to re-enter the accord on different terms.

General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt, another member of Trump’s business councils, wrote on Twitter that he also was “disappointed” with Trump’s decision on Paris.

“Industry must now lead and not depend on government,” Immelt said.

KQED’s Miranda Leitsinger contributed to this report.