Capitol chaos: Resignations hit White House, Melania Trump's aide quits
As the violence in the United States Capitol on Wednesday went on to become one of the defining moments of the tumultuous tenure of outgoing President Donald Trump, the White House was jolted by a spate of resignations, including that of the chief of staff of First Lady Melania Trump. In all likeliness, more resignations will cloud Trump's last days in office. Here's more.
Stephanie Grisham, who has been by the Republican's side since 2015 and was picked up by Melania in 2017 for the East Wing, has submitted her resignation on Wednesday afternoon, effective immediately. "I am very proud to have been a part of Mrs. Trump's mission to help children everywhere and proud of the many accomplishments of this administration," she told CNN.
White House Social Secretary Anna Cristina "Rickie" Niceta also quit from her post, effective immediately. One of the longest-serving members of the incumbent administration, she was selected for the post in February 2017. As a part of her job, she oversaw all White House events, from small meetings to Halloween and galas. Another member to quit was White House press aide Sarah Matthews.
"As someone who worked in the halls of Congress, I was deeply disturbed by what I saw today. I'll be stepping down from my role, effective immediately. Our nation needs a peaceful transition of power," Matthews said.
Meanwhile, US Deputy National Security Adviser Matt Pottinger became the highest-ranking official to put down his papers. He has played a key role in framing Trump's China policy. As per Bloomberg, he intended to resign on election day, the outcome notwithstanding, but stayed put after National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien requested him. Reports claimed even O'Brien is mulling resigning, as is Deputy Chief of Staff Chris Liddell.
The resignations of his aides and statements of few Republican leaders show Trump is left with little to no support. For more than two months now, he has been reiterating that Democrats illegally won the election. Before the rampage, he even declared "we will never give up." His words were followed by unprecedented violence that killed four and left the world aghast.
Once the session reconvened, President-elect Joe Biden's win was certified. Soon, Trump assured an orderly transition of power. "I have always said we would continue our fight to ensure that only legal votes were counted. While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it's only the beginning of our fight to Make America Great Again," Trump's statement read.
