Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, the wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and one of the most powerful Asian American officials in the Trump administration, will resign effective January 11 after pro-Trump rioters breached the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.
"It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve the U.S. Department of Transportation," Chao said in a tweet Thursday that contained a message sent to employees at the U.S. Department of Transportation. "Yesterday, our country experienced a traumatic and entirely avoidable event as supporters of the President stormed the Capitol building following a rally he addressed. As I'm sure is the case with many of you, it has deeply troubled me in a way that I simply cannot set aside."
Chao becomes the first Cabinet secretary to quit after Wednesday's deadly violence, which ensued after President Trump incited a mob of supporters to storm the Capitol building. She also served as co-chair of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
