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Denis Mc
f you missed the moment live on national television, you can still catch it on YouTube. On January 25, 2013, the President of the United States walks into the East Room of the White House, takes his place behind a podium with the presidential seal and announces Denis McDonough ’92 as his new chief of staff. President Barack Obama spends the next 7 1/2 minutes praising McDonough’s decency, loyalty and humility. McDonough stands to his right, slightly behind the President, smiling at times, looking down and somewhat embarrassed at others, distinguished in his silver suit and prematurely–at 43–gray hair. The President’s affection toward the man beside him is obvious in the way he teases him about his gray hair, jokes about the rivalry between the Vikings and Bears, addresses McDonough’s family by
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name, commends McDonough’s deep faith and introduces him as his “great friend.” “He’s been one of my closest and most trusted advisers,” President Obama says. “Given his humility, I don’t think people always appreciate the breadth of his experience and the range of his talents. It is precisely because of that intellect, that experience, his dedication, his determination, that I wanted Denis in this job.” The announcement did not surprise anyone inside the Beltway. Since McDonough came to the capital and earned his position of trust in Obama’s inner circle, he seems to have been destined for this role. The marvel has been how, in a city of high-powered politics, he has maintained his reputation for and universal respect as a man of decency, loyalty and humility.