Susan Rice Out at Biden’s White House

(UnitedVoice.com) – President Joe Biden announced he was running for reelection on April 25. The 46th president’s announcement came one day after he said one of the most prominent figures in his administration is leaving. Susan Rice, who served as the director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, is stepping away from the West Wing next month, and she isn’t the only person who has left.

Polarizing Figure

On April 24, Biden announced Rice was leaving and her final day would be May 26. In a statement, the president said there isn’t anyone “more capable, and more determined to get important things done for” Americans than Rice.

Rice thanked the president and said she was proud of what she accomplished during her tenure.

I am deeply grateful to @potus for trusting and empowering me to serve as his Domestic Policy Advisor. I love the team @ DPC and in the @WhiteHouse. There are no more dedicated public servants. I am so proud of all we have been able to accomplish together for the American people.

— Susan Rice (@AmbRice46) April 24, 2023

Rice joined the Biden administration in the very beginning. She and the president worked together previously during former POTUS Barack Obama’s administration, where the director was a polarizing figure. In 2012, many Americans were introduced to her when she appeared on various Sunday shows to talk about the attack in Benghazi.

After the attack on a US embassy in Libya that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens, Rice told the public that it was related to a movie that was made in America and mocked Islam. It was later discovered the Benghazi attack was planned.

Later, Rice was involved in an unmasking scandal. Former President Donald Trump accused her of requesting the identities of Americans who appeared in intelligence reports about phone and other communications.

Despite the controversies surrounding her, Biden put Rice on his short list for vice president and later hired her to work in his administration. She isn’t the only official to leave in recent months.

White House Turnover

On January 27, White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain resigned from his position. In his resignation letter, he mentioned his departure had been in the works since the end of the previous Congress. According to POLITICO, Klain was the longest-serving chief of staff for any Democratic president in their first term. He was replaced by Jeff Zients.

The Brookings Institution keeps track of presidential administration turnover because of the impact it can have on operations in the federal government. The think-tank revealed that as of April 2023, the turnover rate for Biden’s most senior advisers was 47%.

The turnover rate in Biden’s second year was actually comparable to former President Donald Trump’s, at 32% and 31%, respectively. However, it was markedly higher than Obama, who only lost 15% of his staff in his second year.

As for Rice, it’s unclear where her journey will take her next.