08 January 2021 - String of White House resignations after violence at the Capitol
Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao resigns, saying she is ‘deeply troubled’ by violence at the Capitol
Ian Duncan, Michael Laris and Josh Dawsey (The Washington Post, 08/01/2021)
After spending four years working to enact President Trump’s agenda of lifting government rules on industry, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao announced her resignation Thursday, saying she was left “deeply troubled” following the assault on the Capitol by a mob acting on her boss’s behalf.
Chao, sworn in during Trump’s second week in office, was the first member of the Cabinet to quit in the wake of Wednesday’s violence. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos became the second when she announced her resignation late Thursday.
Betsy DeVos, education secretary, is the second cabinet member to resign.
Erica L. Green and Chris Cameron (The New York Times, 07/01/2021)
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos submitted her resignation in a letter to President Trump on Thursday, saying she would step down the next day over the rampage at the Capitol by his supporters.
Ms. DeVos joins a growing exodus of administration officials in the final days of the Trump administration. She is the second cabinet-level official to step down; Elaine Chao, the transportation secretary, also resigned on Thursday.
Melania Trump’s Chief of Staff Departs Over Violence at Capitol
Jennifer Jacobs and Justin Sink (Bloomberg, 07/01/2021)
First lady Melania Trump’s chief of staff, Stephanie Grisham, resigned on Wednesday, citing frustration over the mobs who stormed the U.S. Capitol to disrupt congressional certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, according to people familiar with the matter.
Grisham confirmed that she’s resigning but didn’t respond to questions about the reason. It’s not unusual for members of the White House staff to depart before a change in administrations but the people said she’d been considering leaving for months and that the violence was a deciding factor.
How does the 25th Amendment work, and can it be used to remove Trump from office after US Capitol attack?
Stephanie Newbold (The Conversation, 07/01/2021)
A day after President Donald Trump incited supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol, Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer called on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove Trump from office, saying “This president should not hold office one day longer.”
The 25th Amendment, ratified by the states in 1967, declares that upon the removal, resignation or death of the president, the vice president assumes the presidency.
Commonly referred to as the Disability Clause, this constitutional provision also specifies that if the president is unable to perform the functions of his office, the vice president will serve as acting president.