President Donald Trump’s deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger resigned Wednesday afternoon in response to Trump’s reaction to a mob of his supporters breaching the US Capitol, a person close to Pottinger confirms to CNN.
Pottinger told people there was very little for him to consider, the person said. Bloomberg was first to report that Pottinger had resigned.
Several of Trump’s top national security aides — including national security adviser Robert O’Brien — are considering resigning in the wake of his response to a day of chaos and violence, according to multiple sources familiar with their thinking.
Deputy chief of staff Chris Liddell is also considering resigning, according to the sources.
Earlier Wednesday, O’Brien took the unusual step of defending Vice President Mike Pence, as Trump has been consumed by the vice president’s refusal to do his bidding instead of the mob that breached Capitol Hill. O’Brien said Pence showed courage as Trump lambasted him.
“I just spoke with Vice President Pence. He is a genuinely fine and decent man. He exhibited courage today as he did at the Capitol on 9/11 as a Congressman. I am proud to serve with him,” O’Brien said
