Acting DHS Secretary third to resign from Trump administration

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf resigned on his post on Monday, becoming President Donald Trump’s third cabinet official to quit from his administration after Wednesday’s Capitol riot.
• Wolf said that his resignation was sparked by the latest events which include his pending appointment as ‘legitimate’ secretary.
• Wolf has urged Trump to condemn the violence led by his supporters.

On Monday, acting Homeland Security secretary Chad Wolf became the third Cabinet official who tendered his resignation following Wednesday’s US Capitol chaos stormed by pro-Trump supporters.

He followed Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao who also quit their posts after the Capitol riot last week.

In his letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) staff, Wolf noted that his departure was “warranted by recent events, including the ongoing and meritless court rulings regarding the validity of my authority as Acting Secretary.”

“These events and concerns increasingly serve to divert attention and resources away from the important work of the Department in this critical time of a transition of power,” he wrote.

Wolf added that he was “saddened” to quit, since he was planning to keep his post until Biden formally assumes office on January 20.

When Wolf was put by Trump at the helm of DHS, a federal judge ruled that he was illegally appointed since an order of succession did not take place when the outgoing secretary stepped down.

Wolf urged the president to denounce the violence, as he described it as “tragic and sickening.”

“This is unacceptable. These violent actions are unconscionable, and I implore the President and all elected officials to strongly condemn the violence that took place yesterday,” Wolf wrote in a statement last week.

“Any appearance of inciting violence by an elected official goes against who we are as Americans. Every American is guaranteed the right to peacefully protest, but once those protests become violent, we should enforce our laws and bring those responsible to justice — regardless of political motivations,” he continued.

Wolf also noted that rioters should be punished for their wrongdoing.

Wolf’s resignation came four days after Trump retracted his nomination as DHS secretary. The White House has declined to comment on his resignation.

Meanwhile, in her resignation letter to the president, DeVos said that Trump’s ‘rhetoric’ sparked the mob, which she said was “an inflection point” for her.

Chao, on the other hand, expressed that the violence made her “deeply troubled.”

“Our country experienced a traumatic and entirely avoidable event as supporters of the President stormed the Capitol building following a rally he addressed,” she said last week.

Since November 2019, Wolf had been the acting DHS secretary. He will be replaced by Pete Gaynor, who is the current Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator.

Source: CNBC.com