交通部长赵小兰周四成为第一位因以下原因辞职的特朗普内阁成员周三对国会大厦的突袭。
根据美国广播公司获得的辞职信,教育部长贝琪·德沃斯几小时后加入了她的行列。
在给机构工作人员的一条推特上,赵紫阳表示,她对她所说的“完全可以避免的事件”感到“深感不安,因为总统的支持者在他发表演讲后冲进了国会大厦”,并补充说,“我不能把这件事放在一边。”
赵树理的妻子是参议院多数党领袖米奇·麦康奈尔,两人差不多在同一时间结婚发表声明引用“煽动暴乱的人”。
“昨天的最终罪魁祸首是那些精神错乱的罪犯,他们破门而入,践踏我们国家的国旗,与执法部门斗争,试图破坏我们的民主,以及那些煽动他们的人。但这一事实不会也不会阻止我们解决国会大厦安全姿态和协议中令人震惊的失败,”他说。
德沃斯在给唐纳德·特朗普总统的辞职信中,引用了总统在周三国会大厦“不合情理”袭击中的角色。
“我们应该代表美国人民强调和庆祝你们政府的许多成就,”她写道。“相反,我们要清理暴力抗议者占领美国国会大厦造成的混乱,试图破坏人民的事业。”
“毫无疑问,你的言辞对局势产生了影响,对我来说,这是一个转折点,”她补充道。
根据这封信,辞职将于周五生效。
德沃斯长期以来一直受到教师工会的批评,他受到了美国教师联合会的直言不讳的告别。
工会在一份声明中说,“好解脱”。
一名财政部官员向美国广播公司证实,财政部长史蒂文·姆努钦打算在总统任期结束前履行职责。
姆努钦是特朗普最忠诚的人之一,也是仅存的几位原内阁秘书之一,目前正在国外旅行。
在与以色列总理本雅明·内塔尼亚胡的联合新闻发布会上,姆努钦说,“昨晚发生的暴力是完全不能接受的。这些行动必须停止。我们的民主机构在很长一段时间内一直很强大。我们的民主将占上风,我们的机构将保持强大。现在是我们的国家团结一致,尊重美国民主进程的时候了。”
马特·约克/美联社,档案
在这张2020年10月15日的档案照片中,教育部长贝琪·德沃斯在菲尼克斯国际学校演讲
代理国防部长克里斯托弗·米勒星期四发表新声明,谴责在国会大厦发生的暴力事件,并表示他将留任至1月20日。
他称暴乱是“应受谴责的,违背了美国宪法的原则。”他说因为华盛顿国民警卫队的服务联邦和地方执法部门,“那些试图阻止我们的政府运转的人的企图失败了。
“我强烈谴责这些针对我们民主的暴力行为,”他补充道。“我和我在国防部领导的人民,将继续根据我们的就职宣誓履行我们的职责,并将在1月20日执行由来已久的向当选总统拜登的和平权力移交。”
农业部长桑尼·濮培德在佐治亚州告诉记者,他没有与任何其他内阁成员联系过可能援引第25修正案解除特朗普总统的职务,也不打算这样做,他表示,但没有具体说,他不会辞职。
“我为我看到的事件感到难过,非常难过。据我所知,在美国,我们通常以非常不同的方式在我们的民主制度中移交权力,所以我对我所看到的感到非常难过,我对那里的人们感到非常沮丧,他们感到被迫违背国会大厦,做他们所做的事情。这并不代表谁是美国人,当然也不代表谁是格鲁吉亚人。”
能源部长丹·布鲁莱特说,他将在未来13天“全力以赴”,致力于权力的平稳过渡。
环保局局长安德鲁·惠勒(Andrew Wheeler)周四上午给他的工作人员发了一条消息,称他对周三国会大厦的袭击“完全厌恶”,但没有提到或暗指总统的角色。
他还表示,他打算留任至1月20日。
Elaine Chao, Betsy DeVos step down from Trump Cabinet following Capitol stormingTransportation Secretary
Elaine Chaoon Thursday became the first Trump Cabinet member to resign because ofWednesday's storming of the Capitol.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos joined her hours later, according to a resignation letter obtained by ABC News.
In a tweet to agency staff, Chao said she was "deeply troubled" by what she called an "entirely avoidable event as supporters of the President stormed the Capitol Building after a rally he addressed," adding that it was something "I simply cannot set aside."
Chao is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell who about the same timeissued a statementciting "those who incited" the rioters.
"The ultimate blame for yesterday lies with the unhinged criminals who broke down doors, trampled our nation's flag, fought with law enforcement, and tried to disrupt our democracy, and with those who incited them. But this fact does not and will not preclude our addressing the shocking failures in the Capitol's security posture and protocols," he said.
In her resignation letter, addressed to President Donald Trump, DeVos cited the president's role in Wednesday's "unconscionable" attack on the Capitol.
"We should be highlighting and celebrating your Administration's many accomplishments on behalf of the American people," she 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."
"There is no mistaking the impact your rhetoric had on the situation, and it is the inflection point for me," she added.
The resignation is effective Friday, according to the letter.
DeVos, who has long been criticized by teachers' unions, received a blunt goodbye from the American Federation of Teachers.
"Good riddance," the union said in a statement.
A Treasury Department official confirmed to ABC News that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin intends to fulfill his duties through the end of the president's term.
Mnuchin, one of Trump's most loyal and one of the few remaining original Cabinet secretaries, is currently traveling abroad.
At a joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mnuchin said, "The violence that occurred last night was completely unacceptable. These actions must stop. Our democratic institutions have been strong for a very long period of time. Our democracy will prevail, and our institutions will remain strong. Now is the time for our nation to come together as one and respect the democratic process in the United States."
Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller issued a new statement Thursday condemning the violence at the Capitol and saying he will remain on the job through Jan. 20.
He called the rioting "reprehensible and contrary to the tenets of the United States Constitution." He said that because ofthe service of the D.C. National Guard, and federal and local law enforcement, "the attempts of those who tried to stop our government from functioning failed.
"I strongly condemn these acts of violence against our democracy," he added. "I, and the people I lead in the Department of Defense, continue to perform our duties in accordance with our oath of office, and will execute the time-honored peaceful transition of power to President-elect Biden on January 20."
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told reporters in Georgia he has not been in touch with any other Cabinet members about possibly invoking the 25th Amendment to remove President Trump from office and doesn't plan to do so, indicating, but not specifically saying, he will not resign.
"I'm saddened by the events that I saw, very sad. That's not what I know of as America we transition power in our democracy usually in a very way so I'm very saddened by what I saw and I'm very discouraged by the people that were there that felt compelled to breach the Capitol and do the things that they did. That's not representing who Americans are it's certainly not representing who Georgians are."
Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette said he will be "fully focused" for the next 13 days and is committed to a smooth transition of power.
EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler sent his staff a message Thursday morning saying he was "completely disgusted" by the Capitol attack on Wednesday, but made no mention or allusion to the role of the president.
He also said he intends to stay on the job until Jan. 20.