Biden confirms new chief of staff

President Joe Biden said Friday that Jeff Zients will be the new White House chief of staff after Ron Klain’s resignation. Klain said in his resignation letter that halfway through Biden’s term was a good time for a change of office staff leadership. Zients’ hiring is one of the first major changes to Biden’s Cabinet since he took office. Biden will host an event at the White House next week to welcome Zients and thank Klain for his service. 

Who is Zients? He was the COVID-19 response coordinator under Biden in 2021 and led former President Barack Obama’s economic team. He left the White House in April but returned in the fall to help Klain prepare for any staff turnover following the midterm elections. Before his time in the White House, Zeints was a management consultant and founded an investment firm. 

Dig deeper: Read Leo Briceno’s report in The Stew on the questions surrounding the documents found in Biden’s possession.