Senior State Department official resigns over Trump's response to racial injustice

Mary Elizabeth Taylor, the assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs, submitted her resignation on Thursday to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, saying President Trump's actions "cut sharply against my core values and convictions."

Taylor, 30, was the youngest person to ever serve in the role, and was also the first black woman to hold the position. Prior to joining the State Department, she was an aide to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and worked in the Trump White House as deputy director for nominations.

The Washington Post obtained her resignation letter, which stated, "Moments of upheaval can change you, shift the trajectory of your life, and mold your character. The president's comments and actions surrounding racial injustice and black Americans cut sharply against my core values and convictions. I must follow the dictates of my conscience and resign as assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs."

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Her resignation comes as the country grapples with the anti-racism and anti-police brutality protests that were triggered by the death of George Floyd. In recent weeks, Trump has said he would not support removing Confederate names from military bases, and his campaign originally scheduled a rally in Tulsa — a city that saw a deadly race massacre in 1921 — on Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the end of slavery.