— -- Rick Klein is the Political Director for ABC News based in Washington, D.C. He oversees the political unit and helps steer the network's coverage of major news events.
Klein provides regular political commentary and analysis for all ABC News broadcasts and platforms including “World News Tonight,” “Good Morning America,” ABCNews.com, ABC News Radio, and NewsOne, the network’s affiliate news service. He co-hosts the “Powerhouse Politics” podcast along with ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl.
Previously he served as a co-anchor for the network’s digital coverage in 2008 alongside Sam Donaldson, and co-hosted “Top Line,” a Webcast and Yahoo! News video series that ran through the 2012 and 2014 election cycles. From 2007-2010, Klein wrote The Note a daily political blog and tip sheet that publishes every weekday morning at ABCNEWS.com. The New Yorker called The Note “the most influential morning tip sheet in Washington,” serving as an insider’s and outsider’s guide to what’s happening in politics and why.
“Rick has established himself as a trusted voice by puncturing Beltway talking points and poll-tuned messages, staying far ahead of the curve on national affairs and political news,” President of Disney-ABC Television Group Ben Sherwood said when he named Klein Political Director in February 2013.
Klein’s instincts and insights played a critical role throughout the last three presidential election cycles, helping guide ABC’s reporting on the campaigns and political battles in Washington. He has interviewed Donald Trump, Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney, John McCain, Ken Burns, Tom Hanks, Kevin Spacey, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
He was a key member of the editorial team that produced eight primary debates, the 2012 vice-presidential debate, and the 2016 town-hall-style presidential debate.
Prior to his current role, Rick Klein served as ABC’s Senior Washington editor for “World News with Diane Sawyer” and as an on-air political analyst. He also appeared regularly on the weekend editions of “World News with David Muir.”
Klein joined ABC News in 2007 from The Boston Globe, where he covered Congress and national politics. Prior to coming to Washington in 2004 to cover the Bush campaign, he covered the Massachusetts State House and Boston City Hall. He previously worked as a metro reporter at The Dallas Morning News.
A native of Long Island, New York, Klein graduated with a degree in politics from Princeton University, where he served as editor-in-chief of The Daily Princetonian. He lives on Capitol Hill with his wife, Laine, and their sons, Jack and Max. An avid baseball-card collector, he was included as a subject in Topps’ 2016 Allen & Ginter release.
