President Donald Trump has a major personnel decision approaching, and Washington is already buzzing about who could become one of the most visible members of his administration.
Several familiar Trump allies are being discussed for the position, while another possibility could dramatically change how the White House handles its daily interactions with the press.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Wednesday that she will leave her position at the end of August to spend more time with her two young children, setting off speculation about who Trump will select to replace her.
With only about two weeks remaining before Leavitt’s departure, potential contenders reportedly include Alina Habba, deputy press secretary Anna Kelly, CNN conservative commentator Scott Jennings and several other prominent Trump allies.
There is also speculation that Trump could decide against immediately naming one permanent replacement and instead use a rotating group of administration officials to brief reporters.
The White House experimented with that approach while Leavitt was on maternity leave earlier this summer, when Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz each appeared before reporters.
Former Trump White House press secretary Sean Spicer believes whoever ultimately receives the job will almost certainly already have Trump’s confidence.
“The next press secretary will undoubtedly be someone who has a strong existing relationship with President Trump,” Spicer told Fox News Digital.
“He values and understands the importance of this role in communicating his positions on policy, personnel and key issues, so I can’t imagine it not being someone currently in his orbit,” Spicer added.
Spicer himself removed his name from consideration for another stint behind the podium.
Habba, Trump’s former personal attorney and a prominent surrogate during the 2024 presidential campaign, has once again emerged in speculation surrounding the position.
Habba was considered a potential press secretary after Trump’s 2024 victory but said at the time that she was “flattered” while believing she would “be better served in other capacities.”
She subsequently served as counselor to the president before taking a controversial position as interim U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey, eventually becoming senior advisor to the attorney general for U.S. Attorneys.
Another name attracting attention is Jennings, the conservative CNN contributor who has become a prominent defender of Trump administration policies during frequently combative television panel discussions.
Jennings was reportedly considered for the position after Trump’s 2024 election victory before Leavitt ultimately received the job, and Trump has since publicly praised him as a “patriot” who “gets it.”
Kelly represents another potential path because she already serves as Trump’s principal deputy press secretary and took on a more public-facing role during Leavitt’s maternity leave.
Kelly regularly handled television appearances during that period, although she has not yet conducted a formal White House press briefing from the podium.
Senior White House adviser Stephen Miller and his wife, Katie Miller, have also been mentioned on social media as possible contenders.
When Stephen Miller was asked Wednesday about the possibility of his wife taking Leavitt’s position, he declined to answer verbally and instead smiled in the direction of the person asking the question.
Katie Miller previously served as press secretary and communications director for former Vice President Mike Pence.
White House communications director Stephen Cheung, one of Trump’s most aggressive and recognizable defenders, is another possibility despite traditionally maintaining a more behind-the-scenes role.
Breitbart Washington Bureau Chief Matthew Boyle and former White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich have also surfaced in discussions about possible successors.
Whoever receives the job would follow a press secretary who has already become one of the longest-serving of Trump’s presidency, Fox News reported.
Leavitt has served approximately 19 months, placing her behind only Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who spent roughly 23 months as Trump’s press secretary during his first administration.
