Trump Reportedly ‘Not Quite Sold’ on CNN’s Scott Jennings as Next Press Secretary

Screenshots via CNN

President Donald Trump has reportedly expressed interest in CNN conservative commentator Scott Jennings as his next White House press secretary, though he remains unconvinced that Jennings is the right person for the job.

Trump has told advisers he would prefer a man to succeed outgoing Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, according to a Wednesday report from NOTUS, which cited two sources familiar with the discussions. The president announced last week that Leavitt plans to leave her role at the end of the month to spend more time with her newborn baby.

Jennings is among the names Trump has considered, but the president is “not quite sold” on choosing the CNN pundit, NOTUS reported, paraphrasing one of its sources.

The president’s preference for a male successor would mark a departure from most of his previous press secretary picks. Sean Spicer was Trump’s first press secretary in 2017, followed by Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Stephanie Grisham, and Kayleigh McEnany. Leavitt has held the position since Trump returned to office in 2025.

Jennings has repeatedly been confronted on CNN over reports that he could be in line for the job.

When Lulu Garcia-Navarro, guest-hosting CNN NewsNight, asked him last week if he planned to take the role, Jennings responded simply, “No.”

But he was less definitive when the network’s Kaitlan Collins pressed him about whether he had heard from the White House, responding, “I don’t really have anything to say about it other than, I mean, I would get to see you every day.”

“That’s not a no,” Collins noted.

Trump is reportedly in no hurry to settle on a replacement, though. NOTUS reported that former George W. Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer has also been floated, while one person close to the White House suggested the intense recent attention surrounding top aide Natalie Harp could unexpectedly propel her into contention.

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