USA20 August, 20263 min read
Scott Jennings Pushes for White House Press Secretary Role, Meets Susie Wiles
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Scott Jennings emerged as an early favorite for White House press secretary. Susie Wiles met Jennings at Mastro’s at the White House's request.
Jennings seeks podium
Scott Jennings is pushing to become the next White House press secretary, with Politico reporting that after clips circulated of Jennings defending Natalie Harp, he reached out to set up a meeting with chief of staff Susie Wiles and that so far no offer has been extended. WJLA reported that Jennings is seeking the role as outgoing press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced earlier this month that she would be leaving her position to spend more time with her young children, writing, "The truth is since returning to the White House after the birth of my daughter, I have felt in my heart that I cannot be the best mom my two young children deserve". Mediaite added that Jennings sent clips of himself defending Harp to the White House in a bid to succeed Leavitt, and it said he met privately with Wiles over the weekend to schedule the meeting.
CNN reported that Wiles met with Jennings at Mastro’s Steakhouse in Washington, DC at the request of the White House, and that multiple staffers believe Jennings has her backing. Jennings told CNN’s Abby Phillip, "Well, I don't have any comment about that, but it's an important job," while also saying he would not answer whether he would take the position if offered.
Trump not sold
Multiple outlets framed the process as ongoing and contested, with TV Insider saying Donald Trump is "not quite sold" on Jennings for the role even as Jennings is described as a frontrunner.
In the same reporting stream, TV Insider said a report from NOTUS on Wednesday (August 19) cited a source that paraphrased Trump as saying he is "not quite sold" on Jennings for the role, and it noted Trump would prefer a man to succeed the outgoing Leavitt.
USA Today reported that Alina Habba, who had been floated as a possible replacement, said she was "flattered by the Kalshi odds, but I’m not in the running for any job," and it said Jennings became the new betting favorite on Kalshi after Habba shut down speculation.
Washington Examiner said Habba squashed rumors she would replace Leavitt and quoted her on X: "Flattered by the Kalshi odds, but I’m not in the running for any job."
Kalshi News reported that Habba leads the market at 38%, followed by Jennings at 28% and White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly at 14%, while also describing Jennings as a CNN commentator and longtime adviser to Sen. Mitch McConnell.
What happens next
CNN said the process is far from complete and that Wiles plans to meet with several other potential contenders before making any decisions, while also describing the vacancy as critical with the midterms less than three months away. CNN reported that the White House is facing a choice about how to handle press briefings as Leavitt departs at the end of the month, including weighing relying again on a rotating cast of Cabinet officials to handle press briefings for an indefinite period. News of the United States said Trump told close advisers he would prefer a man to fill Leavitt’s position and that Leavitt plans to depart the White House at the end of the month, while also saying Trump is not quite sold on the idea.
USA Today said Leavitt announced she was stepping down to spend more time with family and that she is expected to leave at the end of the month, and it quoted Trump calling her "one of my most trusted aides" and "wonderful." The Daily Beast reported that Trump’s close relationship with Natalie Harp has attracted scrutiny and said a person close to the White House predicted that all of the attention on Harp could catapult her into the position, with the source saying, “She was on OANN,” and that the media is going to “make her press secretary.”