As was expected, acting DHS deputy secretary Claire Grady has tendered her resignation, clearing away a pesky obstacle for President Donald Trump in his attempt to install his preferred candidate in ousted DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen’s place.
Nielsen tweeted out Grady’s resignation Tuesday night:
Acting Deputy Secretary Claire Grady has offered the President her resignation, effective tomorrow. For the last two years, Claire has served @DHSgov w excellence and distinction. She has been an invaluable asset to DHS – a steady force and a knowledgeable voice.
— Sec. Kirstjen Nielsen (@SecNielsen) April 9, 2019
Trump announced his intention to replace Nielsen with Customs and Border Patrol commissioner Kevin McAleenan in the same tweet in which he broke her ouster.
Before long, Rep. Bennie Thomas (D-MS), chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, sent Trump a letter informing him that Grady is next in line in the DHS’ line of succession. Trump’s team seems to have been caught off guard by the procedural slip, and it may explain why Nielsen offered to stay on until Wednesday, while her original resignation submitted Sunday was effective immediately.
Read an explainer of the DHS purge here.
“She has been an invaluable asset to DHS – a steady force and a knowledgeable voice.”
“Trump’s team seems to have been caught off guard by the procedural slip, and it may explain why Nielsen offered to stay on until Wednesday, while her original resignation submitted Sunday was effective immediately.”
So, prior stories hinting that Nielsen was quitting out of some sense of Trump’s “harder” direction for DHS being not “right” somehow and being a bridge too far for Nielsen were spin for her “future” outside of government. She proved to be a good soldier to the end albeit her name won’t be on any “new” directives going forward. “Integrity” and “class” …the hallmarks of the Trump (mis)Administration.
What purge? Says Donald. What desire to increase penalties? What intention to break the law? And don’t forget, Obama started separating children from parents at the border. Donald was the one who stopped that. (What court decision ordered him to stop it?)
He is beyond delusional. And beyond shameless. And ignorant. And malicious. Etc.
“Resigns” is one of this administrations favorite euphemisms.
But she clearly has no place in the Reichssicherheitshaupamt going forward, so we are glad to see the last of her.