President Donald Trump revealed he’s considering a particular individual to step into the role of Press Secretary, as his team sifts through a plethora of candidates eager for this prestigious position at the White House.
This announcement came as he was preparing to board Air Force One earlier in the week. At 80 years old, the President was questioned about the successor to Karoline Leavitt, who had recently disclosed her plans to leave the post.
In a lighthearted moment, he turned to the cluster of reporters and said, “Maybe you, maybe you,” when someone inquired whether Scott Jennings, a frequent television commentator known for his conservative views, was in the running for the position.
“Scott Jennings is good,” Trump affirmed with confidence, humorously suggesting that one of the reporters surrounding him could also be a potential candidate for the role.
“I’ll say this,” he remarked, “Never in my life have I received so many job applications.” His words underscored the intense competition for a spot in his White House team.
Leavitt nodded, saying wholeheartedly: ‘Yes, sir.’
‘They all want that job, they love that job,’ Trump said. ‘She’s made that job very glamorous.’
Leavitt, 28, who will be departing at the end of the month, was quite open about the demands of the job when she announced she was leaving the front lines of the Trump administration.
President Donald Trump, 80, said he has ‘never had so many job applications in my life’ as he continues his search to replace Karoline Leavitt as press secretary
When asked if he’d consider Scott Jennings, a conservative commentator, Trump replied: ‘Scott Jennings is good’
‘Being a mother and welcoming a new baby while working in one of the most demanding jobs in the world has been the most rewarding yet challenging season of my life,’ she said.
‘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 while devoting the constant time, energy, and attention required of the White House Press Secretary.’
Her announcement came shortly after Leavitt returned to Pennsylvania Avenue from maternity leave, telling everyone: ‘Let’s get back to work.’
The mother-of-two had returned from maternity leave on July 16 after giving birth to her daughter in May. She also has a two-year-old son with her husband Nicholas Riccio, 61.
One source close to Leavitt, the youngest ever White House press secretary, reveals she had been strongly weighing whether to quit during maternity leave, as the President would contact her often and repeatedly ask when she was coming back.
‘No doubt one of the hardest decisions of her life so far,’ the source told the Daily Mail.
Another source says that, after returning from maternity leave, Leavitt very quickly realized she definitely needed out.
‘First week back she realized she wasn’t feeling it anymore,’ the source said. ‘Trump really didn’t want her to leave as he actually trusts her and doesn’t like having to deal with new people in his circle when he wants to focus on getting stuff done in his time left in office.’
Leavitt became the youngest ever White House press secretary at the age of 27. She will depart the White House at the end of the month
Two sources also explain that Leavitt has been confiding to those close to her over the past two months that she is ready to step down.
‘She was just trying to figure out how to politely step down with his [Trump’s] blessing,’ one of those sources explained.
The President posted on Truth Social that it was ‘a decision I totally understand and respect,’ calling Leavitt ‘one of the best White House press secretaries in the history of the office.’
Trump added that Leavitt would remain a ‘top outside adviser’ and an ‘influential voice’ in the Republican Party as the White House gears up for crunch midterm elections this November.
Rarely has a press secretary wielded the level of access Leavitt has commanded, from sitting in on classified Situation Room meetings to steering crisis strategy around the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
She first entered Trump’s orbit in 2018 and went on to be his press secretary for his 2024 campaign. Leavitt also previously worked as an assistant White House press secretary in 2020.
She took on the role as White House press secretary at the age of 27 when Trump came back into power.