Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, announced her resignation Thursday, roughly 24 hours after a group of angry Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol demanding justice for a presidential election they believe was rigged against them.
In a statement, Chao cited Wednesday afternoon’s events as the reason for her sudden departure from the administration, calling it an "entirely avoidable event" that "deeply troubled me in a way I simply cannot set aside."
It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve the U.S. Department of Transportation. pic.twitter.com/rFxPsBoh6t
— Sec. Elaine Chao (@SecElaineChao) January 7, 2021
Chao's resignation marks the first cabinet official to resign following the rally-turned-riot.
While House Democrats have already drafted articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, many Democrat congressmen and senators, and more than a few of their Republican colleagues, have urged Vice President Mike Pence and other cabinet officials to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office during the last two weeks of his administration.