Presumptive President-elect Joseph R. Biden has named Ron Klain as his White House chief of staff.
Mr. Klain, who has a long history with Mr. Biden, was widely considered to be the front-runner for the job.
“Ron has been invaluable to me over the many years that we have worked together, including as we rescued the American economy from one of the worst downturns in our history in 2009 and later overcame a daunting public health emergency in 2014,” Mr. Biden said. “His deep, varied experience and capacity to work with people all across the political spectrum is precisely what I need in a White House chief of staff as we confront this moment of crisis and bring our country together again.”
Mr. Klain, who served as a senior adviser to Mr. Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign, said the appointment was the “honor of a lifetime.”
Mr. Klain, 59, served as chief of staff to Mr. Biden during his first two years as vice president. He also served in the same role for former Vice President Al Gore. In 2014, President Barack Obama named Mr. Klain the White House ebola “czar.”
During the 2020 election, Mr. Klain was perhaps best known for his critique of President Trump’s response to the coronavirus.
The announcement received rave reviews from Democrats — including the party’s left-wing.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts said Mr. Klain “is a superb choice.”
“He understands the magnitude of the health and economic crisis, and he has the experience to lead this next administration through it,” she said. “Ron has earned trust all across the entire Democratic Party.”
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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