What are we to make of Chad Wolf's resignation?

Politics & Elections
1

The Acting Secretary of Homeland Security has just resigned.

I’m nonplussed. He evidently makes no mention of the January 6 insurrection in his resignation letter:

“I am saddened to take this step, as it was my intention to serve the Department until the end of this Administration,” Wolf wrote, citing ongoing litigation challenging the validity of his appointment.

“Unfortunately, this action is warranted by recent events, including the ongoing and meritless court rulings regarding the validity of my authority as Acting Secretary. These events and concerns increasingly serve to divert attention and resources away from the important work of the Department in this critical time of a transition of power,” Wolf added.

If that’s really his reason, that seems awfully petty - he’d rather punish the whole country than hang on for 9 more days? Given that he was overseeing security for the inauguration, if he was taking his job seriously at all it’s horrifying that he is disrupting the process, in light of the obvious concerns about safety.

So, is he resigning because he doesn’t want to be involved in a 25th Amendment attempt? Or resigning out of disgust over Trump’s recent antics, but he’s too chicken to say so?

I really don’t know what to make of this resignation. It does not strike me as the action of a principled person.

ETA: My overactive imagination just thought of one more, really terrifying possibility: he believes there will be violence at the inauguration and he is trying to distance himself from responsibility. Please tell me that’s insane thinking on my part.

2

At this point, if a Republican took a principled position I would assume they had been replaced by a pod person.

3

He wants to GTFO–it’s been made clear that a whole lot of activity he green lighted here in Portland was not legal due to him only being an acting director who didn’t have the authority to do what he did. He wants to be long gone by the time the inauguration happens since he’s not eligible for a pardon currently and he doesn’t want to get to a place where a pardon will be necessary.

4

Your link is just the CNN landing page. No story about Wolf at this time. Here is the Wolf story.

5

Thanks for the correct link, dunno what happened there.

6

Why not? I thought presidential pardons for federal offenses could be given to virtually anybody.

7

Because he hasn’t been convicted or even charged with anything…yet. I think he’s worried that the incoming AG might be a bit more likely to nail him to the wall for his excesses in Portland and other places.

8

He made a strong statement last week condemning the violence and urging Trump to do likewise. His resignation could be a form of protest, but protesting without saying what you are protesting is a piss poor kind of a protest.

There is some debate as to whether an acting cabinet secretary would be voting on the 25th. It’s never been tested. An acting secretary is not in the line of succession so an argument could be made that he wouldn’t get a vote.

9

He was unlawfully in his position in the first place.

10

So he’s whining like his boss about court decisions stopping them both from screwing people over? I’m glad he’s not holding out for another nine days. The sooner they’re both out, the better for the country.

11

Sure, but why resign over that? It doesn’t make sense - he could just wait to be removed, which was going to happen one way or another eventually, once Biden appointed someone. AFAIK he was not in imminent danger of being ignominiously booted in the next few days.

12

Does anyone one else think it’s possible Trump was running a pressure campaign on him to get him to do something seditious?

It’s Trump’s methodology. He got Chad Wolfe to make a dubiously legal move without an incredible amount of pushback, so he thought he could get him to participate in some sort of seditious activity surrounding the inauguration.

As much as he wants to Make America Great Again, he didn’t want to risk actual treason, so he quit. Or that’s my guess.

13

This is very plausible. Also possible he already colluded in getting security stood down on 1/6 egged on by Trump, and he’s shitting himself.

14

I hadn’t thought of that, but now that you mention it … hmm … I don’t see why that’s not a real possibility.

15

That wouldn’t prevent a pardon. Jimmy Carter issued a blanket pardon to the draft dodgers, most of whom hadn’t been convicted or charged.

16

Not only possible, but likely, unless we think Trump is going to get religion and show restraint. I’m not betting a penny on that.

17

And Ford pardoned Nixon for any crimes he may have committed as President, although he had not been charged. The Supreme Court precedents are that that an individual may be pardoned for potentially criminal acts even if no charges have been filed.

18

Of course he and all of the other rats fleeing the burning ship fear. They don’t want to be associated with Trump’s Final Pustch, both because they know it will result in casualties, and because it will be ultimate ineffectual.

Stranger

19

It seems possible - given his position - that he was partly or fully responsible for the security failures at the Capitol.

20

He’s likely fairly paranoid he’ll be shoved under the bus for the Capitol breach and Trump will be too rushed or unwilling to write him a pardon so he’s outta dis bitch.