White House Chief of Staff Likely to Resign After State of the Union Address on the 7th of Next Month

Impact of Investigation into Biden Classified Document Leak Draws Attention

Ron Klain, White House Chief of Staff [Photo by Reuters]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] Ron Klain, the first White House Chief of Staff under the Joe Biden administration, is reportedly expected to resign soon.

On the 21st (local time), multiple US media outlets cited sources reporting that Chief of Staff Klain is expected to resign within a few weeks after President Biden's congressional State of the Union address. Biden's State of the Union address is scheduled for the 7th of next month. One source said that the resignation date has not been precisely set, and considering the time needed to find a successor and make the transition, Klain is expected to remain at the White House for a certain period. Klain has consistently signaled his intention to step down at some point after the November 8 midterm elections and has reportedly expressed privately that he is tired.

Within the White House, some have requested that he stay longer, considering his close relationship with Biden and his presence in the White House, but the resignation is becoming a foregone conclusion. Since no cabinet members appointed under the Biden administration have been replaced in over two years, Klain’s resignation would be the first departure of a high-profile official. Given that Klain has served as the first White House Chief of Staff for over two years, his resignation at this point can be seen as natural.

However, there is also speculation that he might be taking some responsibility and leaving amid the embarrassing situation where President Biden is under special counsel investigation due to the recent classified documents leak. Biden did not hold a press conference or inauguration event on the second anniversary of his inauguration, which led to speculation that the classified documents leak case was a burden. However, one source told CNN that Klain’s decision to resign was made before the special counsel investigation was announced and is unrelated to the document leak investigation.

The White House is reportedly currently searching for Klain’s successor. Local media reported that potential successors include Steve Ricchetti, a senior advisor and close aide to President Biden; Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture; Marty Walsh, Secretary of Labor; Jeff Zients, former White House COVID-19 response coordinator; Anita Dunn, senior White House advisor; Jack Markell, former Governor of Delaware and Ambassador to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); and Susan Rice, White House Domestic Policy Advisor and former Ambassador to the United Nations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.