Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigns; Democrats say Trump's administration is 'imploding'

U.S. Secretary of Labour Lori Chavez-DeRemer is set to resign from President Donald Trump's administration, the White House announced late Monday. Chavez-DeRemer had been facing a probe from the Labor Department's inspector general for potential misconduct and had been entangled in personal controversies. She is the third woman to leave the administration in the past 60 days after the President fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi. Democrats celebrated Chavez-DeRemer's exit, accusing her of letting the American workers down.

"Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer will be leaving the Administration to take a position in the private sector," White House spokesperson Steven Cheung posted on X. He announced that Keith Sonderling, the deputy secretary of labor, would take over as the acting secretary. There was pressure on Chavez DeRemer in the recent weeks as congressional leaders and investigators honed in on her over alleged misconduct in office. She and her closest aides are involved in a monthslong probe with allegations of Chavez-DeRemer having an affair with her security team and misusing the department's resources for personal trips, the New York Times reported.

Chavez-DeRemer became the third woman to exit the administration amid serious allegations. In March, Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in the wake of federal immigration raids in Minnesota that resulted in the deaths of two protesters, and earlier this month, the President ousted Attorney General Pam Bondi amid a probe into the Department of Justice's handling of the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. 

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) welcomed the news of Chavez-DeRemer's exit in the context of the recent firings. "Trump Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is resigning. This comes just weeks after Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. This administration is imploding," DNC said in a social media post. 

DNC chair Ken Martin issued a statement claiming Chavez-DeRemer's tenure will be remembered as "one plagued by scandals while American workers were left to fend for themselves." He added that "Trump's job market is in shambles," but instead of improving workers' lives, Chavez-DeRemer used her position for "personal gain." Fellow Democrats also celebrated Chavez-DeRemer's resignation, with Democratic Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici accusing her of rolling back labor protections and creating a hostile work environment for Americans. "Labor Sec. Lori Chavez-DeRemer failed to protect workers across the country & in her own department," she wrote in a post on X.