White House chief of staff Ron Klain, who has served in the position since the start of the administration, is preparing to step down, according to a new report.
Klain will likely leave following President Biden’s State of the Union address on Feb. 7, the New York Times first reported, citing senior administration officials. Klain has told colleagues since the midterm elections in November that he is preparing to leave.
The White House did not respond to a request for confirmation or comment from The Hill.
A successor is not yet in place, but some names floated include Labor Sec. Marty Walsh, senior adviser Anita Dunn, domestic policy adviser Susan Rice and former coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients.
Klain is a longtime adviser to Biden and has been in the role for longer than any other Democratic president’s chief of staff. The White House has experienced very little turnover among top level officials throughout Biden’s tenure.
Biden celebrated two years in office on Friday. Klain, who is known for being prolific on Twitter, said to mark the day: “Two hard years. So much to be done. But so much progress.”
Klain’s pending departure comes as Biden readies for a possible reelection bid. The president is on track to signal that he will seek another term around the time of the State of the Union.
Biden’s approval rating was slowing rising following the better-than-expected midterm results for Democrats but dropped to 40% this week, which is nearing his record low, after the discovery of classified documents from the president’s time as vice president.
