The resignation of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer marked the third member to leave President Donald Trump’s Cabinet in less than two months.
Her departure comes after Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi. Chavez-DeRemer was embattled by allegations that she pursued an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate. Her attorney has denied these claims. The inquiry also included questions about possible misuse of taxpayer funds.
Among the other incidents under scrutiny is an event at Labor Department headquarters billed as a swearing-in celebration, but functioned as a birthday party, according to The New York Times. Chavez-DeRemer later told lawmakers she did not have a birthday party, though a photo appears to contradict that claim.
While Trump announced the firings of Noem and Bondi, the White House issued a statement confirming that Chavez-DeRemer was leaving the administration.
White House Director of Communications Steven Chueng said that Chavez-DeRemer would be “leaving the Administration to take a position in the private sector. She has done a phenomenal job in her role by protecting American workers, enacting fair labor practices, and helping Americans gain additional skills to improve their lives.”
Chueng confirmed that Keith Sonderling would become the acting labor secretary.
Trump shied away from outright firings of his Cabinet in the first year of his second term, but the rapid turnover in 2026 in the White House marks a new era. It’s unclear whether the president will pursue any more Cabinet changes. However, the series of Cabinet shake-ups comes ahead of the 2026 elections, where Trump could lose control of Washington, meaning any Cabinet confirmations could have a steeper climb.
Tulsi Gabbard
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has emerged as a target amid rising tensions with the president.
The friction with the pair has grown in recent weeks, after Gabbard declined to condemn former counterterrorism chief Joe Kent during a Capitol Hill threats hearing following his resignation over the Iran war. Allies say her reluctance to align fully with the administration’s posture deepened concerns.
Gabbard also reportedly told Trump she had concerns about reauthorizing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a key spy program that allows warrantless wiretapping of noncitizens overseas that the president has pushed for a clean extension of.
Trump has publicly downplayed the tension, saying aboard Air Force One that while they do not always see eye to eye, he believes Gabbard is fit to serve.
However, Trump has reportedly privately polled Cabinet members on whether to replace Gabbard, frustrated in part by her defense of a former deputy who undercut the administration’s justification for military action against Iran, according to the Guardian.
Cheung previously defended Gabbard in a statement provided to the Washington Examiner.
“President Trump has total confidence in Director Gabbard, and any insinuation otherwise is totally fake news,” he said. “The President has assembled the most talented and impactful Cabinet ever, and they have collectively delivered historic victories on behalf of the American people.”
Kash Patel
FBI Director Kash Patel has faced a steady stream of controversies in recent months.
He drew criticism over social media posts showing him drinking alongside members of the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team, as well as his use of an FBI aircraft to attend a concert by his girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins. He also faced backlash for directing agents to drive one of her reportedly intoxicated friends home.
Patel is suing the Atlantic for $250 million in damages plus any proceeds from an article that alleged frequent drunkness and “unexplained absences” of the FBI director. The complaint filed by Patel’s attorneys called the article a “sweeping, malicious, and defamatory hit piece.”
SCANDAL-PLAGUED LORI CHAVEZ-DEREMER RESIGNS AS TRUMP LABOR SECRETARY
Questions have also mounted over his handling of politically sensitive investigations, including the investigation into Charlie Kirk’s murder, with critics arguing his approach blurred the line between politics and law enforcement. He was further faulted for prematurely announcing an arrest tied to the December shootings at Brown University before the suspect was released.
Adding to the pressure, the FBI confirmed last month that Patel’s personal Gmail account was hacked, with some personal information accessed. The bureau said the material was “historical in nature” and did not involve government information, though the breach, claimed by an Iranian-linked group, has intensified scrutiny.
