President Trump said Friday that the race to replace outgoing White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has drawn an unprecedented wave of interest, telling reporters he has "never seen so many job applications in my life."
Speaking to reporters on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Trump declined to name a front-runner but playfully gestured toward the assembled press corps, saying, "I don't know, maybe you." Leavitt, standing beside him, nodded and acknowledged "there's a lot of options."
Trump credited Leavitt with making the role highly coveted, saying she "made that job very glamorous" and that "they all want that job; they love that job." Her departure, announced earlier this month, stems from her desire to focus on raising her two young children, a decision she said she made after concluding she could not be the mother they deserve while juggling the demands of the podium.
When asked directly about CNN political commentator Scott Jennings as a possible replacement, Trump responded, "Scott Jennings is good." Jennings, a veteran Republican strategist who worked on George W. Bush's campaigns and served as an adviser to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), has been CNN's leading conservative voice since 2017. He was reportedly in the mix for the press secretary job after Trump's 2024 victory.
During an August appearance on "CNN News Night," Jennings deflected questions about his own candidacy but heaped praise on Leavitt, calling her "maybe the greatest White House press secretary in the last 30 years, at least." He added, "I don't know a single Republican in the country who isn't in awe of and in appreciation of Karoline tonight."
Leavitt served as Trump's sole press secretary in his second term, a tenure marked by her combative style and close alignment with the president's messaging. Her predecessor list from the first term includes Sean Spicer, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Stephanie Grisham, and Kayleigh McEnany, each of whom brought their own approach to the briefing room.
The search for Leavitt's successor comes as the White House navigates a series of contentious policy battles, including a recent temporary pause on higher beef tariffs that drew sharp criticism from GOP ranchers and conservative lawmakers. The next press secretary will be tasked with defending such decisions while managing a press corps that has grown increasingly adversarial.
Trump's remarks suggest he is enjoying the wide field of contenders, but he offered no timeline for a decision. "I will tell you this, and Karoline will tell you this," he said, "I have never seen so many job applications in my life."
