The Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security will step down. The announcement comes days after the US Capitol violence that left five people dead.
Chad Wolf had asked Trump and all elected officials to "strongly condemn the violence" at the CapitolImage: Getty Images/E. M Uzcategui
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Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Chad Wolf will resign on Monday, a senior official said, days after he criticized US President Donald Trump over the Capitol riots last week.
"I am stepping down as your Acting Secretary," Wolf said in a statement to the DHS staff. "Unfortunately, this action is warranted by recent events, including the ongoing and meritless court rulings regarding the validity of my authority as Acting Secretary."
Wolf is the third person from Trump's cabinet to resign after supporters of the president stormed the Capitol building in a mob attack last week that left five people dead.
Here's a list of the other members of the Trump administration who have resigned since the riot:
Elaine Chao, Transportation Secretary
Betsy DeVos, Education Secretary
Matthew Pottinger, Deputy National Security Advisor
Eric Dreiband, Assistant Attorney General
Mick Mulvaney, Special Envoy for Northern Ireland
Stephanie Grisham, First Lady's Chief of Staff
Chris Ford, Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation
Elinore McCance-Katz, Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Mental Health and Substance Use
Hunter Kurtz, Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Sarah Mathews, Deputy White House Press Secretary
John Costello, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intelligence and Security, Commerce Department
Tyler Goodspeed, Acting Chairman of White House Council of Economic Advisers
Rickie Niceta, Social Secretary
Ryan Tully, Senior Director for European and Russian Affairs of the National Security Council
Wolf's resignation comes a day before Trump's scheduled visit to the US-Mexico border wall.
Last week, Wolf had called on Trump and all elected officials to denounce the riots in the nation's capital. "We now see some supporters of the President using violence as a means to achieve political ends. This is unacceptable," he said in a tweet on Thursday.
Pro-Trump protesters storm US Capitol: In pictures
Supporters of President Donald Trump breached the US Capitol as lawmakers gathered to count electoral votes. Here's a look at some of the chaotic scenes in Washington as rioters clashed with security forces.
Image: Leah Millis/REUTERS
Protesters and police clash
Supporters of US President Donald Trump clash with police officers in front of the Capitol Building in Washington DC on January 6. Congress was holding a joint session to ratify President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College win over President Trump.
Image: Stephanie Keith/REUTERS
Angry protesters march towards the Capitol
Aggressive pro-Trump supporters rallied outside the US Capitol's Rotunda. Police tried to hold them back, but they breached security and forced their way into the building.
Image: Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty Images
Forceful entry
An angry pro-Trump mob breaks into the US Capitol building on January 6, 2021, while Congress holds a joint session to ratify President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College win over President Trump.
Image: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Guns drawn
With guns drawn, US Capitol police officers watch as protesters try to break into the House Chamber, the inner-most room where legislators had convened to ratify the Electoral College vote.
Image: J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo/picture alliance
Standoff outside the Senate
Security officials try to hold off the rioters in the hallway outside the Senate chamber as lawmakers on the other side of the door are rushed to safety.
Image: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo/picture alliance
Taking over the Senate
After breaking through Capitol security, a protester rushes to the middle of the Senate chamber and screams "Freedom."
Image: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Invading the Senate chamber
A rioter manages to break through security, and jumps from the public gallery to the floor of the Senate chamber.
Image: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Taking shelter
People frantically searched for shelter in the House gallery, as the protesters tried to break into the House chamber. According to a White House reporter on the House floor, people were given gas masks that were under the seats.
Image: Andrew Harnik/AP Photo/picture alliance
Protesters move in
Pro-Trump supporters took over the offices vacated by lawmakers who had been rushed to safety.
Image: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
No holding back
Without police or security officials to hold them back, protesters walzed through the Rotunda and lawmaker's offices. This one carried away the lectern of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
Image: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Tear gas against protesters
Security forces use tear gas on rioters rallying outside the US Capitol Building.
Image: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images
Chaos in the Capitol
An explosion caused by a police munition goes off while pro-Trump supporters rally in front of the US Capitol building. Washington police and the national guard have been deployed to disperse the protesters.
Image: Leah Millis/REUTERS
Dispersing protesters
Members of the National Guard and Washington DC police have been deployed to the Capitol to disperse protesters. A city-wide curfew went into effect from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am.
Image: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
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The same day, Trump withdrew Wolf's nomination to become the permanent head of the DHS. The White House said the decision to pull support was unrelated to his comments.
Wolf has served as acting secretary of the DHS since November 2019. During his term, he oversaw the federal response to the Black Lives Matter protests that took place in cities across the US last year.
Wolf will be replaced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Peter Gaynor as the next Acting Secretary until President-elect Joe Biden's administration takes over on January 20.
