Head of Department of Transportation resigns over Capitol building siege

The head of the U.S. Department of Transportation will leave her post in a matter of days in response to violence at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.

Around 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao took Twitter to announce her resignation from her position, effective January 11.

It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve the U.S. Department of Transportation. pic.twitter.com/rFxPsBoh6t

— Sec. Elaine Chao (@SecElaineChao) January 7, 2021

“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 wrote.

Chao also called on Biden nominee Pete Buttigieg to take over running the Department of Transportation.

Chao is the first Cabinet member to resign over Wednesday’s events.

This is a developing story.