PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi said many of her employees and family are depressed by Donald Trump’s presidential victory.
“I had to answer a lot of questions, from my daughters, from my employees — they were all in mourning,” she said at the DealBook Conference in New York City Thursday, according to CNBC.
{mosads}“Our employees are all crying, and the question that they are asking, especially those that are not white: ‘Are we safe?’ ” she continued.
“Women are asking, ‘Are we safe?’ LGBT people are asking, ‘Are we safe?’ I never thought I’d have had to answer those questions.”
Nooyi supported Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
Nooyi said Trump’s campaign call for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the U.S. has caused the most anxiety. But she believes Trump has softened his stance on the issue.
“The first thing we all have to do is assure everyone living in the United States that you are safe,” Nooyi said. “Nothing has changed as a result of this election.
“The process of democracy has happened. We just have to let life go on.”
Nooyi said the often-nasty fight between Clinton and Trump distracted attention from issues like immigration, trade, technology and jobs.
“A lot of what should have been said during the election, I don’t think was said. We let the politics trump the issues, pardon the pun. The real issues that are facing the country, we never talked about.”
Trump stunned the world late Tuesday by upsetting Clinton for the presidency.
Anti-Trump protests have since erupted in multiple cities across the country.
Clinton on Wednesday conceded to Trump and in a speech urged her supporters to give him a chance to govern.
President Obama on Thursday welcomed Trump to the White House and has pledged a smooth transition.