White House deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger has resigned, according to media reports, joining a number of officials who are leaving the administration of Donald Trump in the wake of violence on Capitol Hill.
Pottinger resigned on Wednesday afternoon in response to the President's reaction to a mob of protesters who breached the US Capitol, CNN reported, citing a person close to Pottinger.
Bloomberg first reported the resignation of Pottinger, a leading figure in the development of Trump’s China policy.
In a video posted to Twitter while the rioters roamed the Capitol, Trump called the protesters "special" and repeated his false claims about election fraud, although he urged protesters to leave.
The melee delayed the certification process of Biden's victory for hours. Biden will be inaugurated on Jan. 20.
Two top aides to first lady Melania Trump also resigned on Wednesday, while Pottinger's boss, national security adviser Robert O'Brien, was considering quitting, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Stephanie Grisham resigned as chief of staff to the first lady.
Grisham, who spent a year as White House press secretary before becoming chief of staff to the first lady, did not say whether her resignation was in reaction to the violence in the nation's capital, but a source familiar with her decision said it was the last straw for her.
The White House social secretary, Rickie Niceta, also resigned, as did a deputy White House press secretary Sarah Matthews, two sources told Reuters.
There was also talk inside the White House that deputy chief of staff Chris Liddell might resign, a source said.
