Washington, United States.
The interim secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Chad Wolf, on Monday announced his effective resignation as of midnight, amid growing concerns over acts of violence during the swearing-in of President-elect Joe Biden, next week.
“I am saddened to take this step because I intended to serve until the end of this government,” Wolf said in an internal memorandum to which AFP agreed.
“Unfortunately, this action is justified by recent events, including ongoing and undeserved court rulings regarding the validity of my authority as interim secretary,” he added.
Wolf, whose portfolio is in charge of security at the Jan. 20 events, is the latest cabinet member to resign after the Capitol was taken by Trump supporters last Wednesday, after the Secretaries of Education, Betsy DeVos, and of Transportation, Elaine Chao.
In announcing his resignation to DHS officials, this 45-year-old Republican, very loyal to Trump, did not explicitly mention the assault on Congress headquarters on Wednesday, which left five dead.
But on Thursday he had issued a statement considering “tragic and disgusting” what had happened and urging the president to “strongly condemn” the violence.
Wolf has been at the helm of DHS since November 2019, created after the September 11, 2001 attacks to better coordinate the country’s security and migration policy, and has been involved in litigation over immigration measures. the Trump administration.
Trump had officially nominated him for office in late August 2020, but the Senate never voted to confirm it. Therefore, the court recently ruled that it is not legitimate and has invalidated its decisions.
When the new Congress was installed on January 3, Trump re-presented Wolf’s candidacy to the Senate, which is due to be confirmed by cabinet members, but withdrew it hours after criticism of Wolf in the Riot at the Capitol.
Pete Gaynor, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), would take over as interim secretary, Wolf said in his letter.
Wolf’s resignation comes a day before Trump travels to the U.S.-Mexico border near Alamo, Texas, to inspect the erected border wall.
Wolf would usually accompany the president on this trip.
On January 5, Wolf announced in a statement the completion of 450 miles (724 kilometers) of wall under Trump’s tenure.
“President Trump took office with the promise to build the wall and secure our southern border, a promise he has fulfilled,” he said.