Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf “is still with the department” despite stepping down from his role after President Donald Trump’s supporters rioted at the Capitol last week, according to acting deputy secretary Ken Cuccinelli.
Cuccinelli told Fox News that he has accepted Wolf’s reason for leaving, which he announced on Monday and partly blamed on legal challenges to his appointment, as well as “recent events,” but he did not single out the riot.
Trump had nominated Wolf to become permanent secretary, but withdrew his nomination not long before the acting secretary announced his resignation.
“I certainly accept his explanation,” for stepping down, Cuccinelli said. “He is still with the department, but he is not in the acting secretary role.”
Acting Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark Morgan told Fox Business Network, “It's unfortunate that just with a week left in the administration that we're losing the secretary of DHS. It adds to [the] difficulty of ensuring the transition goes forward. It's an unfortunate set of circumstances.”
Morgan noted that he didn’t know any “specific details” about Wolf’s decision to step down.
“I haven't talked to the secretary in detail about his ultimate decision to go forward, but it's unfortunate we're going to lose the secretary the last week,” of Trump’s presidency, he said.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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