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Biden’s Longtime Chief of Staff Ron Klain Is Stepping Down

Klain plans to leave around time of Feb. 7 State of the Union
New aide arrives as Biden prepares to launch reelection bid

Ron Klain — Ron Klain
Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg

By

Josh Wingrove and

Jennifer Jacobs

January 27, 2023, 2:17 PM UTCUpdated onJanuary 27, 2023, 5:23 PM UTC

President Joe Biden announced he is picking Jeff Zients as his next chief of staff, ushering in a new top aide as he prepares to launch a reelection bid while contending with a divided Congress.

Zients is replacing longtime chief of staff, Ron Klain, who announced Friday that he would step down from his post around the time of the Feb. 7 State of the Union address next month. Klain, in a letter to White House staff, said he would leave after “completing an orderly hand-off to my successor.”