[ad_1]
Members of the Donald Trump administration who resigned in protest following violent protests in the US Capitol by Trump supporters include longtime Republican aides, cabinet appointments and political advisers.
Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao resigned from her post on Thursday (local time), making her the first member of President Donald Trump’s cabinet to resign after her incitement to riot on Capitol Hill.
Jabin Botsford / The Washington Post / Getty Images
Former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham listens as President Donald J. Trump participates in a meeting with Amir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani in the Oval Office of the White House on Tuesday, September 9. July 2019 in Washington, DC. . (Photo by Jabin Botsford / The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Veteran Chao blamed Trump for the “traumatic and totally avoidable” chaos he unleashed with his fiery speech fuel at angry supporters.
“It deeply concerned me in a way that I simply cannot put aside,” Chao said in a statement.
READ MORE:
* Trump’s comments before the Capitol riots may be investigated, says acting federal prosecutor
* The top Senate Democrat and Republican Congressman call for Trump’s impeachment
* Donald Trump’s New Zealand adviser, Chris Liddell, among staff considering resigning after Capitol riots
* Donald Trump urges his followers to ‘remember this day forever’ in a deleted tweet
Chao, who is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, becomes the highest-ranking member of the administration to resign after widespread bipartisan outrage over Trump’s outrageous behavior continues to spread.
Secretary Chao was one of the original members of Trump’s cabinet and one of the few non-white men to have served on it.
His resignation is effective Monday, which means he could still participate in the deliberations to impeach Trump under the terms of the 25th Amendment if Vice President Mike Pence commenced such action before then.
Samuel Winter / AP
Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, who is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, is the highest-ranking member of the government to resign.
Former White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney also resigned Thursday from a diplomatic post in protest of President Trump’s incitement to the rioters who stormed the Capitol.
Mulvaney, a staunch Trump supporter, resigned from his post as special envoy for Northern Ireland over the president’s shameful handling of the insurrection that seized Congress in a failed effort to block President-elect Joe Biden’s certification of victory.
“I can not do it. I can’t stay, “Mulvaney said. CNBC.
The former Trump lieutenant said he could be the first of many top administration officials to resign in Trump’s final days in hopes of salvaging some of his already tarnished reputation.
Several other high-ranking officials in the Trump administration are also reportedly considering resigning.
Two people familiar with the conversations said attendees were torn between fear of what else would happen if they left and a desire to express their displeasure with their boss. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters.
Alex Wong / Getty Images
Former White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, left, and former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham, right, resigned from their current Trump-assigned duties in protest of the unrest.
CNN reported that Republican congressional leaders had called in senior officials, including White House attorney Pat Cipollone and national security adviser Robert O’Brien, to plead with them not to resign out of fear that Trump might deviate further. if they leave.
In a sobering comment, Mulvaney said he had spoken to some senior officials who believe Trump could become even more unhinged and dangerous in the few days left in the White House.
“Those who choose to stay, and I’ve talked to some of them, choose to stay because they are concerned that the president might make someone worse,” Mulvaney said.
On Wednesday, Stephanie Grisham, first lady Melania Trump’s chief of staff and press secretary, resigned. Grisham said in a statement that it was an “ honor ” to serve the country in the White House and to be part of the first lady’s “ mission ” to help children.
Grisham was one of Trump’s oldest aides, joining the campaign in 2015. She replaced Sarah Sanders as the White House press secretary in July 2019, but never held a press conference.
Reporting by Dave Goldiner for the New York Daily News and AP writer Zeke Miller.
