Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao is resigning, making her the first Cabinet member to leave in wake of President Donald Trump’s response to a mob of his supporters breaching the U.S. Capitol.”It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve the U.S. Department of Transportation,” she tweeted on Thursday.In a statement to the agency she led, Chao wrote that she will resign on Monday and was “deeply troubled” by the events at the Capitol building.”I am tremendously proud of the many accomplishments we were able to achieve together for our country and I will never forget the commitment you have for this Department and the United States of America,” her statement continued.Chao joined a growing list of Trump administration officials who are leaving following the violent riot at the Capitol on Wednesday. The riot occurred after Trump addressed a massive rally in Washington fueled by the president’s repeated allegations that he lost the November election because of election fraud, which is not substantiated. A mob breached the Capitol building just as lawmakers were working to certify Electoral College votes in the election, sealing President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.Education Secretary Betsy DeVos became the second Cabinet secretary to resign citing the president’s rhetoric as the reason. In a resignation letter Thursday, DeVos blamed Trump for inflaming tensions in the violent assault on the seat of the nation’s democracy. She says, “There is no mistaking the impact your rhetoric had on the situation, and it is the inflection point for me.”Mick Mulvaney said he called Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Wednesday night to tell him that he was resigning. He served as acting White House chief of staff from January 2019 until March 2020. Before that, he was director of the Office of Management and Budget. “I can’t do it. I can’t stay,” Mick Mulvaney told CNBC, which was first to report the resignation. “Those who choose to stay, and I have talked with some of them, are choosing to stay because they’re worried the president might put someone worse in.”Video below: Protesters storm U.S. CapitolOn Wednesday, deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger, the first lady’s chief of staff, Stephanie Grisham, a press aide and the White House social secretary all resigned. A senior administration official confirmed Thursday that John Costello, the Commerce Department’s deputy assistant secretary for intelligence and security, also resigned from his post. Wednesday’s riots have reportedly increased discussion among Trump’s aides about resigning. While there are only 14 days left in Trump’s administration, many aides’ final days will come before Jan. 20. CNN contributed to this report.
Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao is resigning, making her the first Cabinet member to leave in wake of President Donald Trump’s response to a mob of his supporters breaching the U.S. Capitol.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve the U.S. Department of Transportation,” she tweeted on Thursday.
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In a statement to the agency she led, Chao wrote that she will resign on Monday and was “deeply troubled” by the events at the Capitol building.
“I am tremendously proud of the many accomplishments we were able to achieve together for our country and I will never forget the commitment you have for this Department and the United States of America,” her statement continued.
Chao joined a growing list of Trump administration officials who are leaving following the violent riot at the Capitol on Wednesday. The riot occurred after Trump addressed a massive rally in Washington fueled by the president’s repeated allegations that he lost the November election because of election fraud, which is not substantiated. A mob breached the Capitol building just as lawmakers were working to certify Electoral College votes in the election, sealing President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos became the second Cabinet secretary to resign citing the president’s rhetoric as the reason.
In a resignation letter Thursday, DeVos blamed Trump for inflaming tensions in the violent assault on the seat of the nation’s democracy. She says, “There is no mistaking the impact your rhetoric had on the situation, and it is the inflection point for me.”
Mick Mulvaney said he called Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Wednesday night to tell him that he was resigning. He served as acting White House chief of staff from January 2019 until March 2020. Before that, he was director of the Office of Management and Budget.
“I can’t do it. I can’t stay,” Mick Mulvaney told CNBC, which was first to report the resignation. “Those who choose to stay, and I have talked with some of them, are choosing to stay because they’re worried the president might put someone worse in.”
Video below: Protesters storm U.S. Capitol
On Wednesday, deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger, the first lady’s chief of staff, Stephanie Grisham, a press aide and the White House social secretary all resigned.
A senior administration official confirmed Thursday that John Costello, the Commerce Department’s deputy assistant secretary for intelligence and security, also resigned from his post.
Wednesday’s riots have reportedly increased discussion among Trump’s aides about resigning. While there are only 14 days left in Trump’s administration, many aides’ final days will come before Jan. 20.
CNN contributed to this report.
