White House Chief of Staff

The White House Chief of Staff is the highest-ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President. The CoS does things previously done by the President's private secretary. Jeff Zients became White House Chief of Staff in February 2023.

Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff
Incumbent Jeff Zients since February 8, 2023
Executive Office of the President White House Office
Reports to	President of the United States
Appointer	President of the United States
Formation	1946 (Assistant to the President) 1961 (White House Chief of Staff)
First holder	John R. Steelman
Website	www.whitehouse.gov

List of White House Chiefs of Staff

No.	Portrait	Chief of Staff	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	President
1		Steelman, JohnJohn Steelman (1900–1999)	December 12, 1946	January 20, 1953	6 years, 39 days	Democratic	Truman, HarryHarry S Truman (Democratic) (1945 – 1953)
2		Adams, ShermanSherman Adams (1899–1986)	January 20, 1953	October 7, 1958	5 years, 260 days	Republican	Eisenhower, DwightDwight D. Eisenhower (Republican) (1953 – 1961)
3		Persons, WiltonWilton Persons (1896–1977)	October 7, 1958	January 20, 1961	2 years, 105 days	Republican	Eisenhower, DwightDwight D. Eisenhower (Republican) (1953 – 1961)
–		O'Donnell, KennethKenneth O'Donnell (1924–1977) [a]	January 20, 1961	November 22, 1963	2 years, 306 days	Democratic	Kennedy, JohnJohn F. Kennedy (Democratic) (1961 – 1963)
–		Watson, MarvinMarvin Watson (1924–2017) [a]	February 1, 1965	April 26, 1968	3 years, 85 days	Democratic	Johnson, LyndonLyndon B. Johnson (Democratic) (1963 – 1969)
–		Jones, JamesJames R. Jones (born 1939) [a]	April 26, 1968	January 20, 1969	269 days	Democratic	Johnson, LyndonLyndon B. Johnson (Democratic) (1963 – 1969)
4		Haldeman, HarryH. R. Haldeman (1926–1993)	January 20, 1969	April 30, 1973	4 years, 100 days	Republican	Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon (Republican) (1969 – 1974)
Vacant April 30, 1973 – May 4, 1973 (4 days)
5		Haig, AlexanderAlexander Haig (1924–2010)	May 4, 1973	September 21, 1974	1 year, 140 days	Republican	Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon (Republican) (1969 – 1974) Gerald Ford (Republican) (1974 – 1977)
6		Rumsfeld, DonaldDonald Rumsfeld (1932–2021)	September 21, 1974	November 20, 1975	1 year, 60 days	Republican	Ford, GeraldGerald Ford (Republican) (1974 – 1977)
7		Cheney, DickDick Cheney (born 1941)	November 20, 1975	January 20, 1977	1 year, 61 days	Republican	Ford, GeraldGerald Ford (Republican) (1974 – 1977)
Vacant January 20, 1977 – July 18, 1979 (2 years, 179 days)
8		Jordan, HamiltonHamilton Jordan (1944–2008)	July 18, 1979	June 11, 1980	329 days	Democratic	Carter, JimmyJimmy Carter (Democratic) (1977 – 1981)
9		Watson, JackJack Watson (born 1938)	June 11, 1980	January 20, 1981	223 days	Democratic	Carter, JimmyJimmy Carter (Democratic) (1977 – 1981)
10		Baker, JamesJames Baker (born 1930)	January 20, 1981	February 4, 1985	4 years, 15 days	Republican	Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan (Republican) (1981 – 1989)
11		Regan, DonaldDonald Regan (1918–2003)	February 4, 1985	February 27, 1987	2 years, 23 days	Republican	Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan (Republican) (1981 – 1989)
12		Baker, HowardHoward Baker (1925–2014)	February 27, 1987	July 1, 1988	1 year, 125 days	Republican	Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan (Republican) (1981 – 1989)
13		Duberstein, KennethKenneth Duberstein (born 1944)	July 1, 1988	January 20, 1989	203 days	Republican	Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan (Republican) (1981 – 1989)
14		Sununu, JohnJohn Sununu (born 1939)	January 20, 1989	December 16, 1991	2 years, 330 days	Republican	Bush, GeorgeGeorge H. W. Bush (Republican) (1989 – 1993)
15		Skinner, SamuelSamuel Skinner (born 1938)	December 16, 1991	August 23, 1992	251 days	Republican	Bush, GeorgeGeorge H. W. Bush (Republican) (1989 – 1993)
16		Baker, JamesJames Baker (born 1930)	August 23, 1992	January 20, 1993	150 days	Republican	Bush, GeorgeGeorge H. W. Bush (Republican) (1989 – 1993)
17		McLarty, MackMack McLarty (born 1946)	January 20, 1993	July 17, 1994	1 year, 178 days	Democratic	Clinton, BillBill Clinton (Democratic) (1993 – 2001)
18		Panetta, LeonLeon Panetta (born 1938)	July 17, 1994	January 20, 1997	2 years, 187 days	Democratic	Clinton, BillBill Clinton (Democratic) (1993 – 2001)
19		Bowles, ErskineErskine Bowles (born 1945)	January 20, 1997	October 20, 1998	1 year, 273 days	Democratic	Clinton, BillBill Clinton (Democratic) (1993 – 2001)
20		Podesta, JohnJohn Podesta (born 1949)	October 20, 1998	January 20, 2001	2 years, 92 days	Democratic	Clinton, BillBill Clinton (Democratic) (1993 – 2001)
21		Card, AndrewAndrew Card (born 1947)	January 20, 2001	April 14, 2006	5 years, 84 days	Republican	Bush, GeorgeGeorge W. Bush (Republican) (2001 – 2009)
22		Bolten, JoshuaJoshua Bolten (born 1954)	April 14, 2006	January 20, 2009	2 years, 281 days	Republican	Bush, GeorgeGeorge W. Bush (Republican) (2001 – 2009)
23		Emanuel, RahmRahm Emanuel (born 1959)	January 20, 2009	October 1, 2010	1 year, 254 days	Democratic	Obama, BarackBarack Obama (Democratic) (2009 – 2017)
–		Rouse, PetePete Rouse (born 1946) Acting [b]	October 1, 2010	January 13, 2011	104 days	Democratic	Obama, BarackBarack Obama (Democratic) (2009 – 2017)
24		Daley, WilliamBill Daley (born 1948)	January 13, 2011	January 27, 2012	1 year, 14 days	Democratic	Obama, BarackBarack Obama (Democratic) (2009 – 2017)
25		Lew, JackJack Lew (born 1955)	January 27, 2012	January 20, 2013	359 days	Democratic	Obama, BarackBarack Obama (Democratic) (2009 – 2017)
26		McDonough, DenisDenis McDonough (born 1969)	January 20, 2013	January 20, 2017	4 years, 0 days	Democratic	Obama, BarackBarack Obama (Democratic) (2009 – 2017)
27		Priebus, ReinceReince Priebus (born 1972)	January 20, 2017	July 31, 2017	192 days	Republican	Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (Republican) (2017 – 2021)
28		Kelly, JohnJohn F. Kelly (born 1950)	July 31, 2017	January 2, 2019	1 year, 154 days	Independent	Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (Republican) (2017 – 2021)
–		Mulvaney, MickMick Mulvaney (born 1967) Acting [c]	January 2, 2019	March 31, 2020	1 year, 89 days	Republican	Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (Republican) (2017 – 2021)
29		Meadows, MarkMark Meadows (born 1959) [d]	March 31, 2020	January 20, 2021	295 days	Republican	Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (Republican) (2017 – 2021)
30		Klain, RonRon Klain (born 1961)	January 20, 2021	February 8, 2023	2 years, 19 days	Democratic	Biden, JoeJoe Biden (Democratic) (since 2021)
31		Zients, JeffJeff Zients (born 1966)	8 February 2023	-	1 year, 274 days	Democratic	Biden, JoeJoe Biden (Democratic) (since 2021)
Designate		Wiles,SusieSusie Wiles (born 1957)	January 20, 2025 Incoming	Incoming	−73 days	Republican	Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (elect) (Republican)

Notes

1. De facto, as Appointments Secretary.
2. Pete Rouse served as ad interim White House Chief of Staff following the resignation of Rahm Emanuel and until the appointment of Bill Daley.
3. Mick Mulvaney served as "Acting White House Chief of Staff" following the resignation of John Kelly.
4. Mark Meadows serves as "White House Chief of Staff" following the resignation of Mick Mulvaney.