Politics
Former Trump administration officials, from Comey to McCabe
White House speechwriter David Sorensen resigned Friday amid domestic abuse allegations.
Sorensen’s ex-wife first told The Washington Post that he was violent and emotionally abusive during their two and a half years of marriage. Sorensen has denied the allegations, claiming that he was the victim of domestic violence in the marriage.
White House staff secretary Rob Porter resigned his position earlier this month following reports that he abused his two ex-wives.
A growing number of people have left the Trump administration in just over a year – a group that includes former press secretary Sean Spicer, FBI director James Comey and chief strategist Steve Bannon.
Read on for a running list of who has left since Trump took office.
David Sorensen
White House speechwriter David Sorensen resigned on Feb. 9 amid domestic abuse allegations.
Sorensen’s ex-wife first told The Washington Post that he was violent and emotionally abusive during their marriage. He has denied the allegations.
Sorensen’s position did not require a security clearance, the White House said, adding that his background check was ongoing.
Sorensen worked as a senior adviser to Gov. Paul LePage, according to the Portland Press Herald.
Rachel Brand
Rachel Brand, the associate attorney general in the Department of Justice, is stepping down from her position.
(Reuters/Aaron P. Bernstein)
Rachel Brand is stepping down from her position, Fox News confirmed on Feb. 9. Brand is an associate attorney general in the Department of Justice.
Brand, the No. 3 official in the DOJ, served in the role for nine months before accepting a job with Walmart. She will serve as the retail giant’s executive vice president, global governance and corporate secretary.
Rob Porter
White House staff secretary Rob Porter resigned from office following reports that he abused his ex-wives. He denied the allegations.
(Reuters/Jonathan Ernst)
White House staff secretary Rob Porter announced his resignation from the Trump administration on Feb. 7 following reports that he abused his two ex-wives.
Porter’s ex-wives told the Daily Mail that he was physically and mentally abusive.
Porter denied the “outrageous allegations” and resigned from his position.
“I have been transparent and truthful about these vile claims, but I will not further engage publicly with a coordinated smear campaign,” Porter said.
Two days after the resignation, Trump wished the former staffer well, saying he hopes Porter has “a great career ahead of him.” He said the allegations were “very sad” and stressed that Porter has maintained his innocence.
Andrew McCabe
Andrew McCabe has been repeatedly attacked by Trump since the fall of 2016.
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
McCabe was “removed” from his position as the No. 2 figure at the FBI and is on “terminal leave,” a source told Fox News.
He has been repeatedly criticized by Trump since 2016 when it was revealed that his wife, Dr. Jill McCabe, had accepted campaign contributions from the political action committee of Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a close Clinton ally, during a failed state Senate run.
“I can say the president wasn’t part of this decision-making process,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said at a press conference.
Omarosa Manigault Newman
Omarosa Manigault Newman joined the Trump administration as the director of communications for the White House Office of Public Liaison.
(Reuters/Omar Negrin)
A former “Apprentice” star, Omarosa Manigault Newman joined the Trump administration as the director of communications for the White House Office of Public Liaison to work on outreach to various contingency groups.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said on Dec. 13 that Manigault Newman’s last day with the administration would be on Jan. 20 – exactly one year since Trump’s inauguration.
Manigault Newman reportedly drew scrutiny from White House chief of staff John Kelly. She also came under fire for bringing her 39-person bridal party to the White House for a photo shoot in 2017.
Richard Cordray
Richard Cordray resigned from his position as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Nov. 24, 2017.
(Reuters/Larry Downing)
Richard Cordray resigned from his post as the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Nov. 24, 2017, setting off a fight between his former chief of staff and the White House over who will replace him.
Cordray’s resignation didn’t come as a surprise; he had previously said he would quit his job by the end of November. But many thought his resignation would set up Trump to appoint his own director of an agency that has been widely criticized by his administration and Republicans alike.
However, before his resignation, Cordray elevated his chief of staff Leandra English to the deputy director position – meaning she would become acting CFPB director after he quit. But the White House announced Mick Mulvaney, head of the Office of Management and Budget, as its interim director.
Tom Price
Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price resigned from his position in September 2017 following reports that he used costly private plans at the taxpayers’ expense.
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Tom Price officially resigned from his post as Health and Human Services Secretary on Sept. 29, 2017, according to a White House statement.
The move came after Price received major criticism following reports of his use of private planes.
Price had promised to repay the government for the use of his costly flights and vowed never to take a private charter plane again while in his post as secretary but was ultimately let go anyway.
Sebastian Gorka
Sebastian Gorka, the Deputy assistant to President Trump, is no longer employed with the administration, the White House announced in August 2017.
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
The White House announced that Sebastian Gorka, deputy assistant to Trump, was no longer a part of the administration during a Friday evening news dump on Aug. 25, 2017.
White House officials told Fox News that Gorka did not resign but confirmed that he “no longer works” with the administration.
However, Gorka insisted to the Washington Examiner that he did actually resign.
A former Breitbart news editor, Gorka joined the Trump administration as a counterterrorism adviser and assisted with national security policy decisions alongside Bannon, according to White House sources.
Steve Bannon
Steve Bannon, the Breitbart News chief, was removed from his position as chief strategist in August.
(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Steve Bannon was removed from his position as White House chief strategist on Aug. 18, 2017.
The Breitbart News chief joined Trump’s presidential campaign and was later appointed to a senior adviser role after Trump won the election.
Bannon, the hardcore populist, had become increasingly isolated inside the White House following John Kelly’s appointment as chief of staff, sources inside the White House and outside advisers told Fox News.
A White House aide told Fox News that Bannon’s ouster wasn’t sudden; he submitted his resignation in writing several weeks prior, the aide said.
Anthony Scaramucci
Anthony Scaramucci lasted as the White House communications director for only 10 days.
(Reuters/Jonathan Ernst)
The announcement of Anthony Scaramucci as the White House communications director on July 21, 2017, set into motion a big shakeup in White House staff.
But Scaramucci himself lasted only 10 days in the White House. He was reportedly removed at the request of new White House chief of staff John Kelly.
Kelly was sworn in as chief of staff just hours before Scaramucci was removed.
Reince Priebus
Reince Priebus, the former RNC head, was out as Trump’s chief of staff in July.
(Reuters/Carlos Barria)
Trump announced Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly as his new White House chief of staff on July 28, 2017, effectively ousting Reince Priebus.
The replacement of Preibus as chief of staff came amid tensions between he and Scaramucci, the White House communications director at the time.
Michael Short
White House assistant press secretary Michael Short resigned on July 25, 2017, after Scaramucci informed Politico of his intent to fire him.
“This is the problem with the leaking,” Scaramucci reportedly told reporters. “This is actually a terrible thing. Let’s say I’m firing Michael Short today. The fact that you guys know about it before he does really upsets me as a human being and as a Roman Catholic.”
Sean Spicer
Sean Spicer resigned as White House press secretary after the administration hired Anthony Scaramucci.
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
After the hiring of Anthony Scaramucci, White House press secretary Sean Spicer announced his resignation on July 21, 2017.
Walter Shaub
Walter Shaub Jr. resigned from his position as the director of the Office of Government Ethics.
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Office of Government Ethics Director Walter Shaub Jr. announced on July 6, 2017 that he was resigning from his job after clashing with Trump. His final date in office was July 19.
In his position, Shaub was often at odds with the Trump administration, particularly when it came to Trump’s business dealings.
Shaub joined the Campaign Legal Center, an organization in Washington that mostly focuses on violations of campaign finance law.
Michael Dubke
While former White House communications director Michael Dubke tendered his resignation quietly on May 18, 2017, he stayed on with the administration until after the president’s first foreign trip.
He said that he resigned due to “personal” reasons.
James Comey
Fired FBI Director James Comey was fired by Trump abruptly.
(Reuters/Jonathan Ernst)
Trump abruptly fired former FBI Director James Comey in a brief letter on May 9, 2017, saying Comey could not “effectively lead” the bureau any longer.
Trump repeatedly criticized Comey’s handling of the investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s personal email server, and Comey said after his firing that he felt uncomfortable by comments Trump made about the FBI’s investigation into Flynn.
Comey reportedly was speaking to employees in Los Angeles when news of his ousting came across the television. At the time, according to reports, Comey thought it was a prank.
Katie Walsh
Deputy chief of staff Katie Walsh resigned on March 30, 2017, after a Trump-backed health care bill failed to make it through the House, according to The Associated Press.
She left the White House to join the pro-Trump nonprofit America First Policies.
Walsh came to the White House after serving in the Republican National Committee under then-chairman Reince Priebus.
Preet Bharara
Preet Bharara was fired from his position as Manhattan federal prosecutor after he declined to resign.
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Manhattan federal prosecutor Preet Bharara was fired on March 11, 2017, after he declined to willingly resign from his job.
The Justice Department said attorneys general who were holdovers from the Obama administration needed to resign. Bharara refused to do so.
“I did not resign. Moments ago I was fired,” Bharara tweeted. “Being the US Attorney in [the Southern District of New York] will forever be the greatest honor of my professional life.”
Michael Flynn
Michael Flynn resigned as the Trump administration’s embattled national security adviser in February 2017.
(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Michael Flynn, Trump’s embattled national security adviser, resigned on Feb. 13, 2017, after it was revealed that he apparently lied about conversations he had with the Russian ambassador.
“I have nothing to be ashamed for and everything to be proud of,” Flynn told Fox News at the time.
Sally Yates
Sally Yates was removed from her position as acting attorney general after she refused to enforce President Donald Trump’s travel ban.
(AP Photo/J. David Ake)
Taking over as acting attorney general following the departure of Loretta Lynch, Sally Yates was removed from her position on January 30, 2017.
Yates refused to enforce Trump’s controversial travel ban and issued a memo to the Justice Department not to defend the executive order.
Fox News’ Kristin Brown, Jake Gibson, Brooke Singman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
ANGELA MERKEL’s ally David McAllister said he feels Scotland is already a new independent member of the European Union, in a boost to Nicola Sturgeon’s quest to break away from the UK.
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Vice President Kamala Harris addressed concerns that some Black Americans have had about Covid-19 vaccines, encouraging them to get the shot despite historical skepticism of the medical field.
“We must speak truth about the history of medical testing in this country,” Harris said in an interview with MSNBC’s Rev. Al Sharpton.
“We must be honest about the fact that people have a righteous skepticism about how it has been used, how it has been tested and on whom it will be used,” Harris said.
The U.S. has a long record of unethical medical experimentation on Black Americans, from non-consensual testing on slaves to forced sterilization during the early 20th century and the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. As NBC News has reported, experts have cautioned that this history, along with broader health care disparities in the modern era, has led to a distrust of the vaccine‘s safety.
Harris pointed to her own experience receiving the Covid vaccine to build trust in others.
“I got vaccinated,” she said. “I can tell you first of all that these vaccines are safe. It will save your life. There is a Black woman, Dr. Kizzy Corbet, who was part of the team of scientists who created this vaccine and it will save your life.”
“So, get your vaccination when it is your turn,” Harris said.
But the vaccines’ chaotic rollout, including supply shortages and disruptions with distribution due to winter storms, has created widespread accessibility issues.
The Biden administration recently purchased 200 million doses, and it doubled in distribution numbers last week, sending two million doses to 7,000 pharmacies across the country with its Federal Retail Pharmacy Program. The last five weeks have seen a nearly 70 percent increase in vaccine distribution.
Harris visited a local pharmacy and program participant in Washington D.C. Thursday morning, where she also addressed vaccine skepticism.
“There have been many theories about populations that are experiencing vaccine hesitancy for legitimate reasons that are based on historical experience that we should never forget,” Harris said.
Harris’ interview with Sharpton airs in full on Saturday.
THE EU is “very, very, sad” the UK left the bloc as Liz Truss prepares to strike large trade deals with countries across the world, an MEP has said.
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