Following the deadly riots on 6 January that saw Trump supporters attack the US Capitol, three top members of the Trump administration resigned, including Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf.
US Health Secretary Alex Azar announced on Friday that he is stepping down from his appointed position, citing the Capitol riots. He will, however, remain at the post until 20 January, the final day that Trump will occupy the White House.
He urged Trump to “condemn unequivocally any form of violence” and to demand that no one attempt to disrupt the upcoming Joe Biden inauguration.
Earlier in the day, Azar told NBC News in an interview that the United States does not have a reserve stockpile of coronavirus vaccines, but he was confident that “ongoing production” will be enough to provide people with their second dose.
With his resignation, the Trump-appointed Health Secretary becomes the fourth member of the outgoing president’s administration to resign in the aftermath of the violent 6 January Capitol insurrection.
Earlier, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf also stepped down from their positions, citing similar reasoning.
The Capitol saw crowds of Trump supporters storm and ransack the building on 6 January, with the riot resulting in five deaths, including that of a Capitol Police officer who was bludgeoned with a fire extinguisher. The president, who is set to leave the White House in five days, was impeached for a second time on Wednesday over “incitement to insurrection”.
Trump denied the ruling, insisting that he never wanted violence on US streets. Following the attack he urged supporters several times to refrain from violence in the days leading up to Biden’s inauguration.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
