Betsy DeVos, Elaine Chao Resign From Trump Cabinet Due to Capitol Riot

Betsy DeVos and Elaine Chao, two longtime members of President Donald Trump‘s cabinet resigned from their positions on Thursday, a day after Trump supporters stormed into the U.S. Capitol while Congress attempted to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory. DeVos, the Secretary of Education, and Chao, the Secretary of Transportation, have been members of the cabinet since 2017. Other members of Trump’s cabinet have resigned since Wednesday, including deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger and First Lady Melania Trump’s Chief of Staff, Stephanie Grisham.

In her resignation letter, Chao said the events on Wednesday left her “deeply troubled” in a way “that I simply cannot set aside.” Chao’s resignation will go into effect on Monday and she plans to help Biden’s Transportation Secretary nominee, former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, take “on the responsibility of running this wonderful department.”

Chao called White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows about her decision before making her decision known, a senior official told CNN. She has not submitted the letter of resignation to Trump yet. There is no deputy Transportation secretary, so the department’s general counsel Steven Bradbury will take over the role unless Trump names an acting secretary. Chao is the wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and previously served as the Secretay of Labor during President George W. Bush’s two terms.

DeVos submitted her resignation to Trump Thursday night, The Wall Street Journal reports. “We should be highlighting and celebrating your Administration’s many accomplishments on behalf of the American people,” DeVos wrote. “Instead we are left to clean up the mess caused by violent protesters overrunning the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to undermine the people’s business. That behavior was unconscionable for our country.” DeVos said there was “no mistaking the impact” Trump’s words had on the situation and called it an “inflection point” for her. “Impressionable children are watching all this, and they are learning from us,” she concluded. DeVos’ successor will be Miguel Cardona, the head of Connecticut’s public school system and Biden’s nominee.

The riot inside the Capitol building forced Congress to delay certifying Biden’s victory, which was finally completed in the early morning hours Thursday. Since then, several Democratic members of Congress have asked Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office, although Pence reportedly does not plan to do this. Democrats have also discussed beginning impeachment proceedings. There are less than 13 days before Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20.