Education Secretary Betsy DeVos resigned from her post on Thursday, in the wake of violent riots perpetrated by supporters of President Trump at the United States Capitol. DeVos acknowledged the legislative accomplishments achieved by the Trump administration, but said the president’s rhetoric undoubtedly enabled the violence.
“We should be highlighting and celebrating your Administration's many accomplishments on behalf of the American people. Instead, we are left to clean up the mess caused by violent protestors overrunning the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to undermine the people's business. That behavior was unconscionable for our country. There is no mistaking the impact your rhetoric had on the situation, and it is the inflection point for me," DeVos wrote to President Trump. "I believe we each have a moral obligation to exercise good judgement and model the behavior we hope they would emulate. They must know from us that America is greater than what transpired yesterday."
Fox News has confirmed Secretary DeVos' resignation. Letter below: pic.twitter.com/cV33htsz2j
— Sam Dorman (@DormanInDc) January 8, 2021
DeVos is the second cabinet member to resign from the Trump administration after Wednesday’s events. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao is also leaving the administration, along with a growing number of aides to the president.
In her resignation email, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao says she was deeply troubled by yesterday "in a way that I simply cannot set aside." She is the highest-ranking official to quit in protest of Trump's response.
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) January 7, 2021