Donald Trump may be preparing to pull one of CNN’s most combative conservative personalities away from television and place him behind the White House podium.
Scott Jennings has emerged as the reported frontrunner to replace outgoing press secretary Karoline Leavitt, according to sources cited by the Daily Beast.
The possibility represents a dramatic shift for Jennings, who has built his national profile by defending Trump during combative CNN panel discussions. His appearances frequently descend into arguments, interruptions and viral confrontations with the network’s liberal commentators.
Follow @allchronologyThose qualities may be precisely what Trump wants.
The president has long treated the press secretary’s role as both a communications job and a form of televised political combat. Leavitt thrived in that environment by attacking unfavorable coverage, challenging reporters and defending Trump without visible hesitation.
Jennings has effectively spent years auditioning for the position in front of a national audience.
He also possesses a more conventional political résumé than his cable-news persona might suggest.
Jennings served in George W. Bush’s administration as a special assistant to the president and deputy director of political affairs. He later advised Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell and worked on several of the Republican leader’s reelection campaigns.
That combination of White House experience, political strategy and on-camera aggression could make him an attractive replacement during the final months before the midterm elections.
Jennings did little to discourage the speculation when questioned directly during Wednesday night’s edition of CNN’s “NewsNight.”
Instead of answering whether he wanted the job, he delivered lavish praise for Leavitt.
“Karoline Leavitt has been maybe the greatest White House press secretary in the last 30 years, at least,” Jennings said. “She’s been nothing short of brilliant.”
“I don’t know a single Republican in the country who isn’t in awe of and in appreciation of Karoline tonight,” he continued. “So Godspeed on your journey back to your family. You’ve done great stuff.”
The response demonstrated one skill essential to any successful press secretary: avoiding the question while redirecting the conversation toward a message favorable to Trump.
Jennings then praised the president’s controversial White House renovations, including plans for a lavish ballroom extension reportedly costing approximately $400 million.
Leavitt, 28, announced that she will step down at the end of August after concluding that she could not manage the relentless position while giving sufficient attention to her two young children.
She gave birth to her second child in May and reportedly experienced severe exhaustion shortly after returning from maternity leave.
Trump publicly praised her and said she would remain one of his outside advisers. Her departure nevertheless leaves the administration without its most recognizable spokesperson only months before voters decide control of Congress.
Jennings is far from the only contender.
Follow @allchronologyAlina Habba, Trump’s former personal attorney, is reportedly under serious consideration. Habba served as an unofficial public defender of Trump during his New York civil-fraud trial, repeatedly appearing before cameras to attack the case and the officials overseeing it.
Deputy press secretary Anna Kelly offers continuity and direct experience within the current communications operation. Before joining the White House, she served as national press secretary for the Republican National Committee.
Kari Lake, a former television anchor who lost statewide races in Arizona, is another possible candidate. Her intense loyalty to Trump and combative relationship with journalists would make her a natural cultural fit.
Katie Miller, the wife of senior Trump adviser Stephen Miller, is also being discussed. She served as press secretary to Vice President Mike Pence and later worked with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
Other reported possibilities include communications director Steven Cheung, former deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich and Breitbart Washington bureau chief Matthew Boyle.
But the prediction market tells a different story from the insider reports.
On Kalshi, Roma Daravi—vice president of public relations at the Kennedy Center—was listed as the leading possibility with an implied chance of approximately 24 percent.
Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law, followed at roughly 23 percent.
Natalie Harp, the intensely loyal White House aide who frequently accompanies Trump, was also placed near 23 percent. Habba and Kelly followed at approximately 22 percent each.
Those percentages are market prices reflecting traders’ expectations, not confirmed probabilities or evidence of Trump’s actual intentions. They can change rapidly as rumors circulate.
Follow @allchronologyJennings’ absence from the market’s leading names reveals how uncertain the selection remains.
Trump’s decision will likely depend on more than communications experience. He will want someone he trusts personally, someone comfortable with confrontation and someone willing to defend him through investigations, foreign-policy crises and an increasingly difficult election season.
The allegations that Jennings privately criticized Trump could complicate his candidacy. Public loyalty has made him a MAGA television star, but Trump is famously sensitive to reports of disloyalty behind closed doors.
Replacing Leavitt with a 48-year-old man could also produce awkward optics for an administration already criticized over the departure or dismissal of prominent women.
Still, Jennings offers something few rivals can match: a proven ability to enter a hostile television environment and relentlessly promote Trump’s message.
The White House has not announced a decision, and Jennings has not publicly confirmed that he wants the position.
But his carefully evasive response sounded less like a refusal than the opening statement of a man who knows he may soon face questions from the other side of the podium.
Follow @allchronologyScott Jennings has spent years fighting for Trump on CNN.
The president may now ask him to bring that fight directly into the White House.
