Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler criticized the riot led by supporters of President Trump at the Capitol Wednesday, but he stopped short of faulting the president himself.
“As an American and as a 14 year veteran Senate staffer, I was completely disgusted by yesterday’s events,” Wheeler said in a message to EPA staffers Thursday morning, shared with the Washington Examiner. “There is no place for violence in settling political disputes.”
However, Wheeler’s message doesn’t mention Trump by name or comment on the president’s role in inciting the violence. His statement also doesn’t go as far as other members of the Trump administration. The EPA didn’t respond to a follow-up question about whether Wheeler has concerns about how Trump handled Wednesday’s mob at the Capitol.
Several Trump administration officials have resigned since the riots at the Capitol on Wednesday. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao is the first Cabinet official to step down from her post, according to the Washington Post.
Wheeler, in his message, told EPA staffers he is cooperating with the ongoing presidential transition, including providing Biden’s team with “hundreds of documents and over fifty briefings.”
“My intention is to continue to honor the mission of the Agency, to protect public health and the environment, until January 20th in order to provide as smooth a transition for the Agency as possible,” Wheeler added.
