Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar is condemning the assault on the U.S. Capitol in his formal letter of resignation.
On Twitter, Azar said the resignation letter was standard.
"I handed in my letter this week along with every other political apointee, effective January 20 at noon." That is when President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in.
Azar wrote in his letter to President Donald Trump, dated Jan. 12: “The attacks on the Capitol were an assault on our democracy and on the tradition of peaceful transitions of power that the United States of America first brought to the world.”
He added: “I implore you to continue to condemn unequivocally any form of violence, to demand that no one attempt to disrupt the inaugural activities in Washington or elsewhere, and to continue to support unreservedly the peaceful and orderly transition of power on January 20.”
Reuters said that in a letter posted to Twitter by a "PBS Newshour" reporter, Azar cited change in the administration and confirmed his Jan. 20 exit, calling the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6 an "assault on our democracy."
CNBC said he wrote that “the actions and rhetoric following the election, especially during the past week, threaten to tarnish” the legacies of this administration. “The attacks on the Capitol were an assault on our democracy and on the tradition of peaceful transitions of power ...”