«The attacks on the Capitol were an assault on our democracy and on the tradition of peaceful transitions of power that the United State of America first brought to the world,» Alex Azar wrote to the
Outgoing Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar touted the Trump administration’s «historic» success in developing a COVID-19 vaccine, but he warned President Donald Trump that the January 6 Capitol riot «threaten to tarnish» his legacy. Azar, who was nominated by Trump as HHS secretary in November 2017, penned a letter to the White House Friday announcing his resignation at noon on Inauguration Day, January 20. He declined to follow fellow Cabinet members Betsy DeVos and Elaine Chao as they immediately resigned following the deadly riot, writing that it’s «in the best interest of the people» for him and Trump to serve out their terms. «Unfortunately, the actions and rhetoric following the election, especially during this past week, threaten to tarnish these and other historic legacies of this Administration.
