Rick Perry will resign as energy secretary

Rick Perry is out, and he’s taking his glasses with him.

Perry informed President Trump on Thursday that he’ll be resigning as energy secretary in the near future. The decision isn’t a surprise, but it’s hard not to see a coincidence between it and Perry’s Wednesday interview that dragged him deeper into the Trump administration’s Ukraine scandal.

Perry is one of Trump’s few Cabinet officials who have been on the job since the beginning of his presidency — not that he and Trump were exactly friends during the 2016 campaign. The former Texas governor has been supportive of Trump’s anti-environmental agenda throughout his tenure, but was reportedly looking to leave by the end of this year earlier this month.

That exit plan became official after Perry explained his ties to Rudy Giuliani and the Ukraine controversy to The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. Perry led the U.S. delegation to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky’s inauguration this year in what a whistleblower said was Trump’s attempt to avoid Zelensky until he was sure the leader would “play ball” and probe former Vice President Joe Biden. Perry backed up the characterization of Trump refusing to meet Zelensky when talking to the Journal, but said Trump only wanted to ensure Ukraine “cleaned up their act” before a meeting. Perry also said Trump told him to call Giuliani to facilitate a Ukraine meeting, which Perry said he did.

Rick Perry will resign as energy secretary