After four female press secretaries during his two terms, President Donald Trump has told close advisers he would prefer a man to fill Karoline Leavitt’s position, NOTUS has learned.
The pick would be meant to stave off comparisons with the outgoing press secretary, according to two sources familiar with the conversations. Leavitt plans to depart the White House at the end of the month.
Trump has signaled interest in Scott Jennings, a conservative media pundit who has been widely reported to be among those being considered for the position. Trump, however, is not quite sold on the idea, according to one source familiar with the conversations and granted anonymity to speak freely.
Other men have also been floated for the role, including Ari Fleischer, who served as press secretary under President George W. Bush.
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Trump has mainly hired women to serve as his chief spokesperson.
Sean Spicer served for six months as Trump’s press secretary during his first term but was replaced by Sarah Huckabee Sanders who held the position until 2019. Stephanie Grisham and then Kayleigh McEnany held the role after Huckabee left. Leavitt has been Trump’s press secretary since the start of his second term.
The president has said he is in no rush to fill the position, according to one of those sources, and that instead the White House could adopt the same style of briefings that took place during Leavitt’s maternity leave from late April until returning in July.
During that time, Vice President JD Vance and multiple Cabinet members held press briefings, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Last week, Leavitt announced she would step down at the end of August just a month after returning from maternity leave, citing the desire to spend time with her family. She plans to stay on as an outside senior adviser.
There’s also another option the president may consider.
A person close to the White House predicted that all of the attention on the president’s close aide Natalie Harp could catapult her into the position.
“She was on OANN,” the source said, referring to the One America News Network. The media, the person said, is going to “make her press secretary.”
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