Too Little Too Late: The List Of 11th Hour White House Resignations

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 24: U.S. President Donald Trump waves goodbye to employees as he departs the White House September 24, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

A string of President Donald Trump’s administration officials are resigning after a mob of his supporters violently stormed the U.S. Capitol in a bloody episode that left at least four people dead on Wednesday. 

The resignations arrive just two weeks before a president that many of the exiting officials have willfully supported for years through a series of attacks on the bedrock of the nation’s institutions leaves office.

President Trump’s untethered effort to torch democracy came to a fever pitch as he incited his followers during a “Save America” rally speech to descend on the U.S. Capitol as Congress met for a joint session to reaffirm President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral victory.

The violent breach forced an emergency evacuation of parts of the building while Vice President Mike Pence who presided over the session and whom Trump attacked directly for refusing to do his bidding was also swept away to safety.

Here’s the growing list of resignations in the aftermath of the chaos:

  • Stephanie Grisham, the chief of staff to first lady Melania Trump who was also a former White House press secretary 
  • Deputy press secretary, Sarah Matthews
  • White House social secretary, Rickie Niceta
  •  Deputy national security adviser, Matthew Pottinger
  • John Costello, deputy assistant secretary for intelligence and security at the Commerce Department
  • Ryan Tully, Trump’s top White House adviser on Russia 
  • Tyler Goodspeed, acting chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers
  • Elaine Chao, transportation secretary
  • Mick Mulvaney, Trump’s former acting chief of staff and most recently U.S. special envoy to Northern Ireland

Mulvaney who announced he would be stepping down on Thursday morning told CNBC in an interview that he no longer could be a part of the administration in the wake of the violent episode.

“You can’t look at that yesterday and say I want to be a part of that in any way shape or form,” he said.

“Those who choose to stay, and I have talked with some of them, are choosing to stay because they’re worried the president might put someone worse in,” Mulvaney added, appearing to defend a different decision that was made by some of his colleagues to stay.

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, whose husband Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered a blistering rebuke of President Trump’s efforts to undermine democracy on Wednesday, issued a statement saying that she was deeply troubled by the “traumatic and entirely avoidable event” that unfolded following Trump’s address.

“Yesterday, our country experienced a traumatic and entirely avoidable event as supporters of the President stormed the Capitol building following a rally he addressed,” Chao wrote in the Thursday statement. “As I’m sure is the case with many of you, it has deeply troubled me in a way that I simply cannot set aside.”

Chao is the first cabinet official to resign over the Capitol siege.

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for zandru zandru says:

    A “growing list” … of THREE? I’m hoping for updates on this article.

  2. Avatar for eglot eglot says:

    Reminds me of the Billy Zane character in Titanic who realized at the last minute he didn’t want to go down with the ship, and pretended to be a child’s father so that he could get on the last remaining lifeboat.

  3. I hated that movie when it came out but now it has a whole new relevance.

  4. Now those are some high ranking assholes . May they never be employed again.

  5. Avatar for jpc jpc says:

    They can run but they can’t hide. No distancing will work - not if we as a Nation won’t let it.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

359 more replies

Participants

Avatar for heart Avatar for mondfledermaus Avatar for theod Avatar for steviedee111 Avatar for becca656 Avatar for sandyh Avatar for thebigragu Avatar for psudawnc Avatar for daveyjones64 Avatar for pine Avatar for darrtown Avatar for thunderclapnewman Avatar for tena Avatar for brewhousebob Avatar for castor_troy Avatar for cub_calloway Avatar for socalista Avatar for skeptical Avatar for godwit Avatar for captainfantastic Avatar for rascal_crone Avatar for dogselfie Avatar for ClutchCargo Avatar for geographyjones

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: