Joe Biden expected to name Jeff Zients as chief of staff
- Jeff Zients ran the administration’s Covid-19 response at the start of Biden’s term
- Ron Klain, Biden’s current chief of staff, plans to leave his post in the coming weeks
US President Joe Biden is set to name Jeff Zients as his next White House chief of staff Monday, according to people familiar with the matter, elevating the administration’s former Covid-19 czar to one of the highest-profile roles in Washington.
Zients, 56, a former business executive who was one of the chief architects of Biden’s initial Covid-19 team, will replace Ron Klain, who is leaving the post in coming weeks, the people said.
Klain will stay on at least through Biden’s February 7 State on the Union address, according to the people.
The White House chief of staff is among the most powerful figures in Washington, and plays a crucial role in shaping the president’s agenda, liaising with Congress and acting as a gatekeeper.
Zients left the administration in April last year, but returned to Biden’s orbit in an advisory role late last year, working to prepare names of candidates for cabinet and other top positions as Biden braced for expected turnover in the second half of his term, facing a divided Congress and a looming 2024 election.
White House spokespeople declined to comment on Sunday.