United Airlines CEO backs national wealth and inheritance taxes

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has called for a national wealth tax and an inheritance tax. He made the case in an interview with The New York Times, published Sunday, according to The Hill.

Kirby said wealth inequality "has become a danger to our society." He said the federal government must "address" it. The Hill reports he argued the taxes would help level the playing field for Americans.

The Guardian reports the interviewer asked Kirby about growing public distrust of CEOs and whether he felt responsible for easing it. The Guardian says conservative politicians and commentators are now criticizing his remarks.

The reports do not say which politicians or commentators objected. They also do not say whether United Airlines has commented.