As was expected, acting DHS deputy secretary Claire Grady has tendered her resignation, clearing away a pesky obstacle for President Donald Trump in his attempt to install his preferred candidate in ousted DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen’s place.
Nielsen tweeted out Grady’s resignation Tuesday night:
Acting Deputy Secretary Claire Grady has offered the President her resignation, effective tomorrow. For the last two years, Claire has served @DHSgov w excellence and distinction. She has been an invaluable asset to DHS – a steady force and a knowledgeable voice.
— Sec. Kirstjen Nielsen (@SecNielsen) April 9, 2019
Trump announced his intention to replace Nielsen with Customs and Border Patrol commissioner Kevin McAleenan in the same tweet in which he broke her ouster.
Before long, Rep. Bennie Thomas (D-MS), chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, sent Trump a letter informing him that Grady is next in line in the DHS’ line of succession. Trump’s team seems to have been caught off guard by the procedural slip, and it may explain why Nielsen offered to stay on until Wednesday, while her original resignation submitted Sunday was effective immediately.
Read an explainer of the DHS purge here.
