Acting US Homeland Security chief resigning: reports

WASHINGTON

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf told the department Monday he is resigning from his post effective 11:59 p.m. despite his intention to serve until the end of the Trump administration.

Wolf said in a letter to colleagues he was leaving early due to "recent events" that include successive court rulings challenging the validity of his role atop the department.

"These events and concerns increasingly serve to divert attention away from the important work of the Department in this critical time of a transition of power," he wrote in the letter, copies of which spread on social media.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not immediately respond to requests for corroboration.

Wolf said Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Pete Gaynor will take over in an acting capacity, imploring DHS employees to work to ensure a smooth transition to President-elect Joe Biden's team.

"Welcome them, educate them, and learn from them," Wolf said. "They are your leaders for the next four years -- a time which will undoubtedly be full of challenges and opportunities to show the American people the value of DHS and why it is worth the investment."

While Wolf did not explicitly mention last week's Capitol riot, his departure is the latest from the Trump administration in the wake of last week's siege by outgoing President Donald Trump's supporters.

Just minutes before the Capitol was stormed last Wednesday, Trump implored his supporters to "fight like hell" to "stop the steal," a reference to his false claims that the Nov. 3 presidential election was stolen from him through widespread voter fraud. He lost the election to Biden by 7 million votes.

"Our country has had enough, and we will not take it anymore," Trump told the mass gathering, many of whom likely later flooded the Capitol as lawmakers were certifying Electoral College results. "We will stop the steal."

Five people died during the ensuing mayhem in the federal legislature, including Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who succumbed to his wounds on Thursday.

In the midst of the mayhem, Trump called the people storming the Capitol "great patriots."

On Thursday, Wolf, one of Trump's staunchest allies, issued a blistering critique of the riotous mob, calling it "tragic and sickening."

"While I have consistently condemned political violence on both sides of the aisle, specifically violence directed at law enforcement, we now see some supporters of the President using violence as a means to achieve political ends," he said.

"This is unacceptable. These violent actions are unconscionable, and I implore the President and all elected officials to strongly condemn the violence that took place yesterday," he added.

Roughly an hour and a half after the statement was issued, the White House announced Wolf's nomination -- sent to the Senate the Sunday before the Capitol riot -- had been abruptly withdrawn.