I Knew Ron Klain. How Could He Let Biden's Debate Calamity Happen?

Like many people around the world, I was stunned by what I saw on the night of Thursday, June 27, when President Joe Biden went up against Donald Trump.

I'm not sure one could call it a "debate", as others have referred to it as a debacle, disaster, national embarrassment (and that's without using any of the expletives).

It's also difficult to consider it "presidential" after what we witnessed between the two candidates.

What stuns me more than anything else is how others let this happen. Advisers are there to advise—and close advisers are expected to know you better than anyone else, because they spend time with you and see you more than others.

Plus, they are the ones you let into your professional world—and often personal life—more than outsiders. So, there's an element of trust and understanding that fosters a sense of collaboration and cooperation at the highest possible levels.

If you surround yourself with the wrong ones, you're bound to get wrong advice. If you surround yourself with some of the best, you're likely to get the best from them too.

When it comes to Biden, the only close adviser I once knew is his former White House chief of staff and trusted confidant, Ron Klain.

You see, I attended Georgetown University with him many years ago, and we took the same course in U.S. politics. There weren't that many of us, so we were in a small classroom sitting in close proximity to one another.

I recall him very well. Firstly, he was impressive because of his appearance: An Adonis who was physically perfect in every way.

In fact, I would often wonder how God made someone so handsome. If first impressions count, then he sure made heads turn. You just wanted to keep looking at him, because there was no perceptible flaw. He dressed well too: Clean, neat, tidy and a bit preppy.

Secondly, I was impressed (if not amazed) by his level of intellect. Time and time again, in every class we had, he revealed this to us—without any arrogance, but with a measure of confidence that made us all take note of him.

Every time our professor asked a question and none of us knew the answer (or even had a clue what he was getting at), Ron's hand would be the only one that went up.

The professor would call on "Mr. Klain"—and sure enough, Mr. Klain would always have the right answer. Always.

It was mind-boggling really, because the rest of us had no idea how he did it.

Which is why I'm having such difficulty believing and processing what happened just a few nights ago.

I learned from a New York Times report that Ron left the White House last year to become chief legal officer of Airbnb. I wondered about that. Knowing how smart he was, I thought maybe he no longer wanted to be associated with what he perceived to be a sinking ship.

Anyone as clever as him would certainly know when he's on board one, and take the right measures to make sure he jumps off it when the first signs appear and the ship begins to teeter.

Then in mid-May, there was an article stating that he was taking a break from his Airbnb job to return to the White House, and help prepare Biden for his debate with Trump.

Apparently, Ron is known in Washington, D.C. circles for being one of the best debate trainers in town. He's very sharp and astute with a depth of political knowledge and experience very few can match.

That same article claimed he "was critical to Mr. Biden's debate preparations during the 2020 campaign."

Here's some of what Ron said that was quoted there: "I think what we have to see is something different than we saw in 2016 and 2020, where the debate commission lost control of the debates.

"Trump didn't follow the rules at all, he talked over his opponents, there wasn't a fair division of time, it was more a spectacle than a debate.

"We need to have debates where the candidates get equal time ... where the American people can compare the two people who are the leading candidates for president."

Well, Ron, we certainly got to do that on Thursday. Maybe more than you would have ever wanted or known. As they say: In life, be careful what you wish for.

These days I often ask myself: What happened to the Ron Klain I once knew? He had all the answers back then, so where are his answers now? How could he have let such a calamity happen on live television in front of a global audience of tens of millions?

With all that's at stake both at home and around the world, we have a right to know.

We want to know the answers—the world wants to know them—and we need them now.

Please give us the right answer, Mr. Klain.

Ladan Rafii is an expert on international humanitarian law and political affairs, who has worked for the United Nations (UN), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and humanitarian non-governmental organizations.

All views expressed are the author's own.

Do you have a unique experience or personal story to share? See our Reader Submissions Guide and then email the My Turn team at myturn@newsweek.com.

Correction, 7/6/2024, 3:58 a.m. EDT: An incorrect reference to Ron Klain's Georgetown school was removed.