White House chief of staff Ron Klain, who's spent more than two years as President Joe Biden’s top aide, is preparing to leave his job in the coming weeks. His departure comes as the White House is shifting to a…
REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. — White House chief of staff Ron Klain, who has spent more than two years as President Joe Biden's top aide, is preparing to leave his job in the coming weeks, according to a person familiar with Klain's plans.
Klain's expected departure comes not long after the White House and Democrats had a better-than-expected showing in the November elections, buoyed by a series of major legislative accomplishments, including a bipartisan infrastructure bill and a sweeping climate, health care and tax package that all Republicans rejected. The personnel change is also a rarity for an administration that has had minimal turnover so far. No member of Biden's Cabinet has stepped down, in stark contrast to Donald Trump's White House, with frequent staff turmoil and other crises. The person familiar with Klain's plans was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity to confirm the development, which was first reported by the New York Times. People are also reading… The White House did not return calls or emails seeking comment on Klain's expected exit. Now that Republicans have regained a majority in the House, the White House is preparing to shift to a more defensive posture. GOP lawmakers are planning multiple investigations into the Biden administration, examining everything from the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan to U.S. border policy. Republicans are are pledging to investigate the president's son, Hunter Biden. National News Photos: Biden visits the border for the first time Klain's departure also comes as the White House struggles to contain the fallout after classified documents dating from Biden's time as vice president were discovered at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, and at his former institute in Washington. Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed a special counsel to investigate the matter. Among those on the shortlist to succeed Klain include Steve Richetti, counselor to the president; Labor Secretary Marty Walsh; former White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients; Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack; and Anita Dunn, a White House senior adviser. Dunn, who has publicly ruled out interest in the chief of staff job, would be the first woman in the post. She played a leading role in shaping Biden's political and communications strategy, including the"ultra-MAGA" framing of Republicans that helped Democrats exceed expectations during the 2022 midterms. Zients has returned to the White House since running the COVID-19 response team in a low-profile role to ensure the administration is appropriately staffed for the remainder of Biden's first term. Richetti, a former lobbyist, followed after Klain and senior adviser Bruce Reed as Biden's final vice presidential chief of staff. National News Q&A: Biden inaction, mixed signals on death penalty Walsh, Boston's mayor before joining the Cabinet, earned praise from Biden as recently as Friday for his job performance. Vilsack, a former Iowa governor, is in his second stint as agriculture secretary after serving in the role for the entirety of the Obama administration. He volunteered for Biden during Biden's ill-fated 1988 presidential bid in Iowa. Klain, a longtime Democratic political operative, has overseen a West Wing that has been largely free of the high-stakes drama that permeated the upper echelons of the Trump administration. Klain has been an outspoken proponent of Biden's agenda via Twitter, where he frequently engages with reporters to defend the president's record. The Indianapolis native has served under Biden for decades, including as chief counsel of the Senate Judiciary Committee when Biden was its chairman. Klain also worked on judicial picks in the Clinton White House, helping with the nomination of Ruth Bader Ginsberg for the Supreme Court. "With all due respect to my predecessors, I'm sure this is a higher priority for me," Klain said in an Associated Press interview last month in which he discussed the importance placed by Biden of seating judges on the federal bench."The fact that makes it such a priority, makes it a big priority for me." Klain helped lead then-Vice President Al Gore's legal team during the 2000 election's Florida vote recount in the race against Republican George W. Bush. Actor Kevin Spacey portrayed Klain in HBO's"Recount," an account of the events that determined the presidency. By the numbers: President Biden at the two-year mark 6.5% annual inflation 10.46 million job vacancies $31.38 trillion national debt $24.2 billion in security aid to Ukraine 2.38 million migrants stopped at border 97 federal judges confirmed 89 pardons and commutations $3.36 average gas price 666 million vaccines administered 680,000 COVID-19 deaths 36 states visited 197 days in Delaware 6 chats with Xi 21 news conferences $1 trillion in infrastructure $40 billion for bridges 1 state dinner 0 Cabinet departures A closer look Tags Respond: Write a letter to the editor | Write a guest opinion Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain Reportedly Stepping DownIn what appears to be the largest shake-up in the administration since Biden took office, Klain has reportedly been informing colleagues since the November mid-term elections about his plans to resign and a search for his replacement is already underway.
Read more »
Ron Klain, White House chief of staff, plans to step downBreaking news: Ron Klain, President Biden’s chief of staff, plans to step down in the coming weeks after playing a central role in steering the administration through its first two years, according to two people familiar with his plans.
Read more »
Ron Klain, Biden's White House Chief of Staff, Is Reportedly Expected to Step DownWhite House Chief of Staff Ron Klain is preparing to step down from the Biden administration in the coming weeks, The New York Times reported.
Read more »
White House chief of staff Ron Klain plans to step down after State of the UnionBREAKING: White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain is planning to depart after the State of the Union address in February once his successor is firmly in place, according to an administration official.
Read more »
Ron Klain, Biden's chief of staff, expected to leave White HouseRon Klain's tenure as chief of staff is the longest for a Democratic president in modern times.
Read more »