Why Ron Klain's Exit as Chief of Staff is a 'Huge Loss' for Joe Biden

The world of politics has noted the difficulties Joe Biden will face in replacing Ron Klain amid reports the president's chief of staff is leaving the role.

Klain, who has been Biden's top aide in the White House for the past two years, is expecting to step down in the next few weeks, according to The New York Times and the Associated Press.

Klain is said to have been telling White House staff about his departure since November's midterms, in which the Democrats performed better than expected by keeping control of the Senate and fending off a predicted "red wave" in the House.

The move comes as Biden is expected to confirm his intention to run for president in 2024—triggering yet another grueling campaign—while the president also faces scrutiny following the discovery of classified documents at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, and a think tank office in Washington, D.C.

During his two years in the White House, Klain helped Biden push through a number of popular bills that have defined his presidency thus far, including the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief American Rescue Plan [ARP] and the $1 trillion infrastructure program.

Klain also played a key part in helping the United States massively increase the pace of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout from January 2021, as well as the plans to forgive thousands of dollars in student debt for millions of people.

Reacting to the news, Jon Favreau, a former speechwriter for Barack Obama, said Klain's departure is a "huge loss" for Biden and the country.

"Ron absolutely crushed the hardest job in politics and deserves the break," Favreau tweeted. "Truly one of the very best people you could ever hope to work with in government."

Rick Wilson, the co-founder of the anti-Donald Trump group The Lincoln Project, added the White House "will most certainly miss" Klain as he has been a "very big part of the President's successes in the last two years."

MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan also described Klain leaving as chief of staff as a "big blow" to Biden and progressives. ⁦

"Klain was someone who could engage with the left in good faith, and helped usher in the ARP & the [Inflation Reduction Act] which contained a lot—though not enough!—of the Bernie [Sanders] agenda. Hard to find good chiefs of staff," Hasan tweeted.

Kathryn Dunn Tenpas, a presidential scholar at the Brookings Institution, told The Times that finding a suitable replacement for Klain "will not be easy and may well be impossible" due to his skill set and track record.

"They are headed into a re-election campaign that also increases Ron's value in that he has campaign experience and political skills," Tenpas said. "In addition, the chief of staff's Capitol Hill experience could come in handy as they confront divided government."

David Niven, a political science professor at the University of Cincinnati, said that the loss of Klain as chief of staff is like a "high tide coming in" for Biden, but one in which the president should be able to ride out.

"The good news for President Biden is that he has a wide talent pool of folks—like Ron Klain was himself when he was chosen for the role—who he has worked with, who he trusts, and who can step in to fill jobs as they come open," Niven told Newsweek.

"The White House is not the ideal spot for long-term employment. The hours and the stress are brutal, and the work is essentially infinite. High-level staffers can only stay so long before their health and sanity demand a more normal job," he said.

Niven added that even if no longer chief of staff, Klain will "no doubt remain a valued adviser" for Biden if needed for his 2024 presidential campaign.

Work towards finding Klain's replacement has already begun, with the announcement on who will be the new White House chief of staff said to be made sometime after Biden delivers his State of the Union address on February 7.

According to The Washington Post, former White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients is lined up to replace Klain, a move which has been met with approval from former Delaware senator Ted Kaufman.

"He's incredibly well qualified for the job, and he is someone the president has seen in action," Kaufman, who served as Biden's chief of staff in the Senate, told The Post. "In my experience, as a chief of staff and a manager, he's among the best I've ever worked with."

Representative Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican, has said reports that Klain plans to step down are a "key tell" that Democrats are ready to move on from Biden ahead of the 2024 election.

Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment.

Update 01/23/23, 10:41 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from David Niven.