Former acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf expressed confidence in the planned security measures for President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration next week during an interview with Fox News.
Wolf dismissed criticism of his resignation despite promising to remain in his position through Biden’s inauguration during an interview on America’s Newsroom.
“I’ve certainly heard that criticism, but I think it’s made by individuals who don’t know how the system works,” Wolf said.
“The National Special Security Event […] is run by professional law enforcement individuals, run by the Secret Service, command and controlled by the Secret Service, DOJ [Department of Justice], law enforcement, DOD [Department of Defense], National Guard, MPD [Metropolitan Police Department] here in metropolitan D.C., and others,” he continued. “This is now an operational matter that operational law enforcement officers are taking place.” (RELATED: Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf Says He Won’t Resign Before Jan. 20 — Implores Trump To Condemn Violence)
Wolf emphasized that he saw “no issues with the leadership at the department” despite his absence.
“The acting secretary in this case or the secretary has very little job other than to make sure that coordination continues to occur,” Wolf said. “I have every trust and confidence in their ability to do their job at the end of the day.”
Democratic D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has temporarily closed off locations throughout the city due to “credible threats” related to the Inauguration. In addition, she signed a joint request with Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan asking Americans not to travel to Washington, D.C. for the ceremony. (RELATED: National Guard To Deploy ‘At Least’ 10,000 Troops To DC Ahead Of Inauguration)
JUST IN: D.C. Mayor Bowser on inauguration preparations:
– Asks Americans not to come to DC
– Requests Pres. Trump declare “pre-emergency disaster”
– Requests DHS extend “Special Security Event” period
– Urges DHS to “establish a security and federal force deployment plan.” pic.twitter.com/1xa59q31mp— ABC News (@ABC) January 11, 2021
Wolf stepped down from his post earlier this week, citing “recent events” and “meritless court rulings” as the reason for his resignation. Wolf did not directly mention the Capitol building raid that prompted numerous other Trump Administration Cabinet officials to leave their respective positions.
However, Wolf did condemn President Donald Trump’s rhetoric leading up to the violence, saying Trump shares some responsibility for the fatal riot.
“I think certainly the president’s words matter, and I think I’ve said that publicly on several occasions now,” Wolf told Fox News. “But obviously the individuals that stormed the Capitol, the rioters, the criminals that did that obviously have a lot of blame for their actions themselves and I think that’s important to keep in mind.”
The House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump for the second time on the charge of “incitement of insurrection” Wednesday by a vote of 232-197.