Two Cabinet Departures Follow the Capitol Attack

The Capitol attack on January 6 was followed the next day by two Cabinet resignations, each with its own timetable. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao announced on January 7, 2021, that she would leave the administration effective January 11. Hours later, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos submitted her resignation effective January 8. Chao said the violence at the Capitol had deeply disturbed her. Her departure did not happen immediately; it was set for four days later. DeVos moved faster, setting her exit for the next day. Taken together, the two announcements showed that the political aftermath was reaching the Cabinet within 24 hours of the assault. The White House briefing on January 7 also dealt with the separate business of transition. Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the administration was committed to an orderly transfer of power and described departures by political appointees as part of the normal changeover at the end of an administration. That was not the same thing as a new resignation order tied to the riot. The sequence matters. The assault came first, on January 6. The resignations came after. Chao’s was announced first, with a later effective date. DeVos’s followed later the same day and took effect sooner. By the end of January 7, the damage from the attack was already showing up in the personnel decisions of the administration itself.