White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain is expected to step down from his position in the coming weeks, The New York Times reported, citing anonymous senior administration officials.
Klain managed the Biden White House through two eventful years, longer than any other first chief of staff during a Democratic presidency, the NYT reported. The move comes as President Joe Biden is facing waves of public scrutiny for his handling of classified documents after achieving what some analysts saw as significant victories during the 2022 midterm elections, according to the outlet.
Biden is expected to announce his run for a second presidential term in 2024 soon, the NYT reported. That means after a relatively stable cabinet during the first few years of Biden’s presidency, more turnovers could occur soon. (RELATED: WH Chief Of Staff Says Biden Speech Was ‘One Final Warning’)
Klain is expected to announce his resignation some time near Biden’s State of the Union address on Feb. 7 and will likely linger to help his successor transition into the role, the officials indicated to the NYT.
The officials did not say whether a successor had been chosen, but possible replacements include Labor Secretary Martin J. Walsh, former coronavirus response coordinator Jeffrey Zients, senior Biden adviser Anita Dunn and domestic policy adviser Susan Rice according to the NYT.
Klain did not respond to the NYT’s requests for comment, nor did the possible candidates. Dunn has previously opposed taking the job, the outlet reported.
The next chief of staff will have to shepherd the White House through the fallout of the probe over classified documents found in Biden’s private residence, as well an onslaught of investigations coming out of a Republican-led House of Representatives, especially pertaining to Biden’s involvement in his son Hunter’s business dealings.
Two hard years. So much to be done. But so much progress. https://t.co/XurbtjPEsq
— Ronald Klain (@WHCOS) January 20, 2023
Klain worked for Biden during the latter’s term as Delaware senator and then served as vice presidential chief of staff when Biden served under former President Barack Obama, according to the NYT. Klain later transitioned to a position as Obama’s Ebola czar after the deadly outbreak in 2014.
Republicans viewed Klain as a “virtual prime minister” and Democrats assigned the chief of staff a large portion of the blame for Biden’s political losses, underscoring his influence in the White House that has only increased throughout the course of his decades long career, according to the NYT.
Klain helped propel Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan into law and backed a $1 trillion infrastructure bill, the so-called Inflation Reduction Act. He was also instrumental in Biden’s COVID-19 response policy, playing a crucial role in nationwide vaccine distribution after criticizing former President Donald Trump’s coronavirus response plan.
However, Klain has also sought to champion a plan to eliminate student loan debt for low income individuals that remains embroiled in legal pushback. The adviser also presided over the president’s plummeting popularity rate amid rising inflation, a backtracking economy and a crisis at the southern border.
The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
Editor’s note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
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