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Andrew Puzder has withdrawn¹ as President Donald Trump²’s nominee³ for labor⁴ secretary. Just two days earlier, Michael Flynn resigned from his position as national security adviser⁵.

Puzder faced united Democratic opposition⁷. And some Senate Republicans were concerned that he employed an undocumented worker as a housekeeper⁸.

Flynn’s departure came just 24 days into the Trump administration. White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Flynn, a retired⁹ general, lost the trust of the president.

David Greenberg is a historian at Rutgers University in New Jersey¹⁰. He said he couldn’t remember any recent high-level White House official losing his job so quickly.

Flynn’s departure is notable for how quickly it occurred. But all recent presidents have asked top administration officials to resign. Some, like Puzder, did not get to serve even one day in the job for which they were nominated.

The last three presidents, Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, all pulled back important nominations¹² after questions were raised about their choices.

For Obama, it was his first choice for health secretary. For Bush, it was a nominee for the Supreme¹³ Court. And for Clinton, it was his first two choices for attorney general.

Senate says no

President George H.W. Bush, who served just before Clinton, wanted former Senator John Tower to be his defense¹⁴ secretary. But the Senate defeated his nomination¹¹. His second choice, Richard Cheney, won Senate approval.

Here are some examples of high-ranking officials forced to give up top jobs in recent presidential administrations:

President Barack Obama, Democrat⁶, 2009-2017

In April 2014, President Obama’s health secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, resigned following a troubled start of the national health law, known as Obamacare.

Another resignation came from Eric Shinseki, who was forced to leave as Veterans Affairs secretary after employees hid long wait times for medical care.

George W. Bush, Republican, 2001-2009

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld resigned from President George W. Bush’s cabinet in 2006. Rumsfeld’s departure was a sign the war in Iraq was not going well, said Greenberg, the Rutgers University history professor.

Bill Clinton, Democrat, 1993-2001.

President Clinton’s surgeon general, Joycelyn Elders, was forced to resign. She had called for study of legalizing some illegal drugs and making birth control available at public schools.

Two other top health officials resigned to protest a Clinton decision. They said a welfare reform law approved by the president would hurt poor people.

George H. W. Bush, Republican, 1989-1993

President George H.W. Bush asked his chief of staff, John Sununu, to step down after complaints he was too hard on White House officials, and news reports he used military airplanes for personal trips.

Ronald Reagan, Republican, 1981-1989

Two of President Ronald Reagan’s National Security advisors¹⁵, John Poindexter and Robert McFarlane, resigned over the Iran-Contra scandal. It involved the sale of weapons to Iran, with money going to help arm Contra rebels in Nicaragua. Congress had blocked federal money for the rebel effort.

Reagan’s national security aide Oliver North was also forced out over the Iran-Contra scandal.

Another high-level resignation came in 1982. Secretary of State Alexander Haig stepped down, saying he disagreed with some of Reagan’s foreign policy decisions. Haig is most remembered for declaring, "As of now, I am in control here in the White House,” after the 1981 assassination¹⁶ attempt against Reagan.

Jimmy Carter, Democrat, 1977-1981

Bert Lance was budget director under President Jimmy Carter. He resigned after questions were raised about loans and other decisions he made while running a bank in the state of Georgia.

Gerald Ford¹⁷, Republican 1974-1977

Jerald terHorst was press secretary for President Gerald Ford. He resigned to protest Ford’s decision to pardon former President Richard Nixon. The pardon freed Nixon from facing criminal charges for the “Watergate scandal.”

Richard Nixon, Republican, 1969-1974

The biggest resignation of President Richard Nixon’s presidency¹⁸ was his own. Nixon resigned in 1974 after Congress was ready to remove him from office for covering up the break-in at Democratic headquarters in Washington’s Watergate complex.

The “Watergate scandal” also forced other Nixon aides to resign.

Flynn Says He’s Still Behind Trump

Most people who give up top White House jobs continue to praise the president.

In a statement, Andrew Puzder said he was honored to have been considered for the position of labor secretary, and he praised Trump for helping¹⁹ to "put America's workers and businesses back on a path to sustainable prosperity."

Flynn also said he had been “honored” to serve President Trump. He credited Trump with helping bring back “America's leadership position in the world.”

According to a White House report on presidential history, before Flynn, the earliest resignation of a national security adviser was William Jackson. He lost the job four months after President Dwight Eisenhower appointed him.

Henry Kissinger held the job the longest, from 1969 to 1975, under Presidents Nixon and Ford.

Words in This Story

employ - v. to provide (someone) with a job that pays wages or a salary

undocumented - adj. not having the official documents that are needed to enter, live in, or work in a country legally

departure - n. to leave a place, or position

birth control - n. drugs and devices to keep a woman from becoming pregnant

welfare - n. a government program for poor or unemployed²⁰ people that helps pay for food, housing and medical costs

scandal - n. an action that is morally or legally wrong

break-in - n. to gain entry into a building or place without permission

credit - v. to recognize something that someone has done

1 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

2 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

3 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

4 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

5 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

6 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

7 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

8 housekeeper   

n.管理家务的主妇，女管家

参考例句：

• A spotless stove told us that his mother is a diligent housekeeper.炉子清洁无瑕就表明他母亲是个勤劳的主妇。
• She is an economical housekeeper and feeds her family cheaply.她节约持家，一家人吃得很省。

9 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

10 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

11 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

12 nominations   

n.提名，任命( nomination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nominations are invited for the post of party chairman. 为党主席职位征集候选人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Much coverage surrounded his abortive bids for the 1960,1964, and 1968 Republican Presidential nominations. 许多消息报道都围绕着1960年、1964年和1968年他为争取提名为共和党总统候选人所做努力的失败。 来自辞典例句

13 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

14 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

15 advisors   

n.顾问，劝告者( advisor的名词复数 )；（指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网

16 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

17 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

18 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

19 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

20 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。