U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos submitted his resignation on Thursday, becoming the second member of President Donald Trump’s cabinet to step down because of the riot of his Capitol supporters.
In a letter addressed to Trump, she blamed the chaos in Washington at the feet of the president, who encouraged the crowd before marching to the Capitol on Wednesday afternoon, as the two houses of Congress prepared to certify the victory of the Joe Biden Electoral College.
Photographer: Yuri Gripas / Abaca Press / Bloomberg
“There is no doubt about the impact that his rhetoric had on the situation, and it is the tipping point for me,” she wrote. “Impressive children are watching all of this and learning from us.
DeVos, 62, is among several Trump administration officials who resigned after the turmoil, including Transport Secretary Elaine Chao, who also stepped down on Thursday.
DeVos was one of Trump’s most loyal supporters and, along with Chao, one of the oldest members of his administration. But she recently distanced herself from the president, acknowledging that Biden had won the November 3 election, even as Trump continued to make false accusations that the vote had been rigged.
In her letter, which was released by the Department of Education, she highlighted what she called the government’s “many accomplishments”, including its effort to reopen schools amid the coronavirus pandemic, which many educators and public health officials objected to.
Previously: Chao leaves Trump Cabinet because resignations accelerate in Wake of Riot
“Sir. President, I am sure that history will show that we were correct in our repeated insistence and support for the reopening of schools this year and for all students in America to learn again,” she wrote.
But she added that “we must highlight and celebrate the many accomplishments of her government on behalf of the American people. Instead, we are left to clean up the mess caused by violent protesters who invaded the US Capitol in an attempt to undermine people’s businesses. “
Read more: Trump chose his perfect education secretary in Betsy DeVos
DeVos was appointed to the cabinet post despite her lack of experience in educational policy. It favored the choice of schools, voucher programs and charter schools, much to the dismay of teachers’ unions and liberal education activists. It also eased the Obama administration’s restrictions on for-profit colleges. And in 2019, she was hit with a $ 100,000 fine for violating a judge’s order to halt debt collection efforts against bankrupt Corinthian Colleges Inc. alumni.
She grew up in Michigan, where she promoted educational causes, including choosing a school. She is married to the ex Amway Corp President Dick DeVos is the sister of Erik Prince, founder of private military contractor Blackwater USA and Trump’s ally. Her father, Edgar Prince, was an engineer and industrialist.
– With the help of Justin Sink and Andrew Kreighbaum
(Background updates in the final paragraph.)