Since US ballots are secret, and there are many good reasons for that being the case, I see no reason why a businessman has any responsibility for endorsing a c

Since US ballots are secret, and there are many good reasons for that being the case, I see no reason why a businessman has any responsibility for endorsing a candidate. If they want to publicly state that one candidate or another is advocating for policies that help or hinder their business, then it may be beneficial to their business to point that out. But that's not an endorsement. Businesses are well-advised to stick to policy - and stick to policy that directly affects their business.