After three White House officials announced their resignations within hours of each other in response to the violence that shook Capitol Hill on Wednesday afternoon, a flurry of rumors and speculation arose that another crop of administration resignations was imminent.
Stephanie Grisham, chief of staff for first lady Melania Trump, was the first to announce her resignation Wednesday but was soon followed by White House social secretary Rickie Niceta and deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews, who cited the chaos that tore through Washington, D.C., and the need for a “peaceful transfer of power” as her reasons for leaving.
Source close to Trump says more resignations are expected in the next 24 hours.
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) January 7, 2021
The Capitol Hill complex went on lockdown Wednesday after planned “Stop the Steal” protests devolved into a violent breach of the congressional building — smashing windows, breaking into offices, looting rooms, and forcing an evacuation of Vice President Mike Pence and lawmakers as staff and reporters were told to shelter in place.
After the Capitol was breached, President Trump made several appeals to law and order and asked his supporters for peace, but still claimed he won the election. Despite calling for peace, Trump in a series of tweets appeared to defend the violence of his supporters, saying in a deleted tweet, “These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots.”
After news of the resignations broke, Twitter was abuzz with rumors of top-level administration officials who were reportedly considering resigning.
Among those considering an early departure from the White House are national security adviser Robert O’Brien, his deputy Matt Pottinger, and deputy chief of staff Chris Liddell, according to a Bloomberg reporter.
BREAKING: Trump’s national security adviser Robert O’Brien, O’Brien’s deputy Matt Pottinger and Trump deputy chief of staff Chris Liddell are considering resigning, sources tell me, @SalehaMohsin and @Jordanfabian.
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) January 7, 2021
Elaine Chao, the transportation secretary and wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, was added to the list, according to NBC News.
NBC News reports Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao is considering resigning
— Sam Mintz (@samjmintz) January 7, 2021
Cracks in what appears to be an increasingly divided administration deepened after news broke that Trump banned Marc Short, Pence’s chief of staff, from the White House. Trump lambasted Pence earlier Wednesday for failing to take decisive steps to overturn the results of the election.
Trump banned Pence chief of staff Marc Short from the WH today, sources tell @JenniferJJacobs, me and @josh_wingrove
Top WH advisers including O’Brien, Liddell and Pottinger are thinking about resigning after today’s events, we are told
On @TheTerminal https://t.co/Gtwt6uF5Ed
— Saleha Mohsin (@SalehaMohsin) January 7, 2021
Those administration officials who are not actively considering their resignations are reportedly instead discussing invoking the 25th Amendment in order to remove Trump from office.
“This is not news we deliver lightly,” CBS News’s Margaret Brennan said as she reported that several members of Trump’s Cabinet were discussing whether to invoke the 25th Amendment.
“I’m talking about actual members of the Cabinet,” Brennan said.
JUST IN: “This is not news we deliver lightly,” @margbrennan says as she reports: Trump Cabinet secretaries are discussing invoking the 25th Amendment to remove President Trump. Nothing formal yet presented to VP Pence.
“I’m talking about actual members of the Cabinet,” she says
— Ed O’Keefe (@edokeefe) January 7, 2021
