Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said in a statement Thursday that she is resigning, becoming the first Cabinet member to leave the administration in the wake of President Donald Trump’s response to a mob of his supporters breaching the US Capitol.
“I am tremendously proud of the many accomplishments we were able to achieve together for our country and I will never forget the commitment you have for this Department and the United States of America,” her statement continued. She added that will help the Transportation Secretary designate, Pete Buttigieg, in taking on the department. Chao decided to resign after taking “time to absorb” the insurrection on Capitol Hill and the President’s response to it, a senior administration official said. “Today, there was a lot of soul-searching and discussion,” the official said. “It was obviously the right thing to do.” The official said Chao’s decision to resign on Monday — not immediately — was done in order to give her staff time for an orderly departure and transition. Chao discussed the matter with her staff and her husband, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, before deciding by around 11 a.
