White House chief of staff Ron Klain to reportedly step down


Ron Klain, White House chief of staff to President Biden for the last two years, is expected to resign his post in the coming weeks, it was reported Saturday.
Sources told NBC News and The New York Times that Klain would be resigning his role as part of a "reconfiguring" of the West Wing team ahead of the 2024 presidential election. While Biden has not officially declared his candidacy, he is expected to run for a second term.
Klain, 61, has been Biden's chief of staff for his entire term, the longest-serving person in that position under a Democratic president. He previously served as chief of staff to former Vice President Al Gore, and also served as Biden's chief of staff when he was vice president.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Klain additionally served as a senior advisor on Biden's 2020 presidential campaign.
The White House chief of staff is widely recognized as one of the most powerful positions in the West Wing, with the job allowing unparalleled access to the president.
As Ballotpedia noted, the chief of staff "leads the staff of the Executive Office of the President (EOP) and advises the president on policy issues." As a result, it is also considered one of the most high-pressure jobs in Washington, D.C., and insiders have said that the stress of the job may have started to get to Klain.
Sources told NBC News that Klain had publicly expressed his exhaustion in recent months, and had been talking about leaving around the midway point of Biden's first term.
"No one is surprised," an administration official told the outlet.
Klain will be the first major West Wing advisor to depart under Biden's tenure, but sources have said he will likely not be the last.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
-
Trump executive order targets homeless
Speed Read It will now be easier for states and cities to remove homeless people from the streets
-
Columbia pays $200M to settle with White House
Speed Read The Trump administration accused the school of failing to protect its Jewish students amid pro-Palestinian protests
-
Florida judge and DOJ make Epstein trouble for Trump
Speed Read The Trump administration's request to release grand jury transcripts from the Epstein investigation was denied
-
Trump attacks Obama as Epstein furor mounts
Speed Read The Trump administration accused the Obama administration of 'treasonous' behavior during the 2016 election
-
Trump administration releases MLK files
Speed Read Newly released documents on the 1968 assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did not hold any new revelations, King historians said
-
Japan's prime minister feels pressure after election losses
Speed Read Shigeru Ishiba has vowed to remain in office
-
President diagnosed with 'chronic venous insufficiency'
Speed Read The vein disorder has given Trump swollen ankles and visible bruising on his hands
-
'Bawdy' Trump letter supercharges Epstein scandal
Speed Read The Wall Street Journal published details of Trump's alleged birthday letter to Epstein