Stephanie Grisham, other White House staffers resign amid Capitol chaos

Several White House staffers have resigned in the wake of the violent protests in Washington, D.C. as Congress resumed to count the Electoral College votes Wednesday evening.

First lady Melania Trump’s chief of staff Stephanie Grisham became the first to submit her resignation effective immediately, CNN first reported.

Grisham began working for then-presidential candidate Donald Trump in 2015, and then served as White House deputy press secretary under Sean Spicer before the first lady hired her to be part of her staff in 2017.

Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Matthews also reportedly resigned in response to Wednesday’s events which she called deeply disturbing. 

“I was honored to serve in the Trump administration and proud of the policies we enacted. 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,” Matthews said in a statement. 

ABC News reported White House Social Secretary Rickie Niceta also submitted her resignation Wednesday. 

Deputy National Security Adviser Matt Pottinger also resigned on Wednesday afternoon, according to Bloomberg.

National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien and Deputy Chief of Staff Chris Liddell are all considering resigning after President Trump’s response to the rioters who continued to wreak havoc in the nation’s capital, multiple sources told CNN.

One of Trump’s Cabinet members, Transportation Secretary Eliane Chao is also considering her resignation, NBC News reported. 

Trump nominated Chao, who is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, to run the Transportation Department in November 2016.

Chao previously served as former President George W. Bush’s Labor Secretary for eight years.