News Update

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos resigns after insurrection at Capital

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos resigned Thursday, the Wall Street Journal reported, after condemning the insurrection at the nation’s capitol Wednesday incited by President Donald Trump.

DeVos tweeted a statement Wednesday evening condemning the violence, but not directly blaming Trump for inciting it though he rallied supporters to walk up to the capital and “take back our country” in a conspiracy theory-laden speech moments before. In her resignation letter to Trump Thursday, which the New York Times obtained, she said there was “no mistaking the impact (Trump’s) rhetoric had on the situation, and it is the inflection point for me.”

“We should be highlighting and celebrating your Administration’s many accomplishments on behalf of the American people,” DeVos said in her letter. “Instead, we are left to clean up the mess caused by violent protestors overrunning the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to undermine the people’s business. That behavior was unconscionable for our country.”

She added: “Impressionable children are watching all of this, and they are learning from us. I believe we each have a moral obligation to exercise good judgement and model the behavior we hope they would emulate. They must know from us that America is greater than what transpired yesterday.”

The resignation is effective Friday.

DeVos is the second secretary in Trump’s cabinet to resign after Wednesday’s riot. The first was Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.