White House Chief of Staff
From Citizendium - Reading time: 1 min
The White House Chief of Staff is an important appointment made by a President of the United States of America.[1] An incoming President has to choose individuals for over 3,000 Presidential appointments. James A. Baker, who served as Chief of Staff for two Presidents, said that Chief of Staff, the director of presidential personnel, and President's Legal Counself, should be an incoming President's first three appointment, because he will need to depend on them in choosing, and vetting all the other appointments
The current chief of staff is Jeff Zients, who succeeded Ron Klain on February 8, 2023.[2]
Some Chiefs of Staff are powerful gatekeepers, who jealously control access to the President. Richard Whalen, one of President Richard Nixon's speechwriters, quoted Nixon's Chief of Staff, H.R. Haldeman, who said "Every President needs an S.O.B. -- and I'm Nixon's.".[3] Even Nixon's Presidential cabinet Secretaries had great trouble seeing Nixon.
References[edit]
- ↑ David G. Cohen, Charles E. Walcott. Smoothing the Peaceful Transfer of Democratic Power, Kinder Institute on Democracy. Retrieved on 2024-02-16.
- ↑ Jeff Zients to be Biden's next chief of staff, January 22, 2023. (in en-US)
- ↑ Edward Walsh. Haldeman, Intensely Loyal, Key to Access to Nixon, Washington Post, 1973-05-01, p. A11. Retrieved on 2024-02-16.
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