There has been a flurry of White House resignations — and more are expected
Following the departure of Stephanie Grisham, first lady Melania Trump's chief of staff, on Wednesday evening, two more White House officials announced their resignations.
Their exits are in response to President Trump's incitement of supporters, who went on to storm the Capitol. In a statement, White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Matthews said she was "honored to serve in the Trump administration and proud of the policies we enacted," but as "someone who worked in the halls of Congress, I was deeply disturbed by what I saw today. I'll be stepping down from my role, effective immediately. Our nation needs a peaceful transfer of power."
White House Social Secretary Rickie Niceta also resigned, after more than two years in the role. More people are expected to join Grisham, Matthews, and Niceta, with several sources telling CNN National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien, Deputy National Security Advisor Matt Pottinger, and Deputy Chief of Staff Chris Liddell are all considering resigning.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
They are not happy with the way Trump incited the mob to breach the Capitol, and O'Brien also was against Trump slamming Vice President Mike Pence for not blocking the Electoral College certification. On Wednesday afternoon, he defended Pence, saying he is "a genuinely fine and decent man" who "exhibited courage today as he did at the Capitol on Sept. 11 as a congressman. I am proud to serve with him."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
How dangerous is the ‘K’ strain super-flu?The Explainer Surge in cases of new variant H3N2 flu in UK and around the world
-
Who is The Liz Truss Show for?Talking Point Former PM’s new weekly programme is like watching her ‘commit a drive-by on herself’
-
Codeword: December 9, 2025The daily codeword puzzle from The Week
-
Benin thwarts coup attemptSpeed Read President Patrice Talon condemned an attempted coup that was foiled by the West African country’s army
-
Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro behind bars after appeals run outSpeed Read He will serve 27 years in prison
-
Americans traveling abroad face renewed criticism in the Trump eraThe Explainer Some of Trump’s behavior has Americans being questioned
-
UN Security Council backs Trump’s Gaza peace planSpeed Read The United Nations voted 13-0 to endorse President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to withdraw Israeli troops from Gaza
-
Chile picks leftist, far-right candidates for runoff voteSpeed Read The presidential runoff election will be between Jeannette Jara, a progressive from President Gabriel Boric’s governing coalition, and far-right former congressman José Antonio Kast
-
Venezuela mobilizes as top US warship nearsSpeed Read The largest and most advanced US aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, has entered the Caribbean and put Venezuela on high alert
-
Nigeria confused by Trump invasion threatSpeed Read Trump has claimed the country is persecuting Christians
