CNN conservative commentator Scott Jennings has reportedly met privately with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles as speculation intensifies over who will replace outgoing press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Jennings is said to be among the leading contenders for the high-profile role after Leavitt announced that she will leave the White House at the end of August to spend more time with her family.
According to the Daily Mail, Jennings met with Wiles before Leavitt publicly announced her departure and has met with her at least once more since then.
Three sources familiar with the selection process reportedly described Jennings as a serious contender.
One source said Jennings and Wiles “speak often.”
Another went further, saying the press secretary position is “his if he wants it,” and adding that “he does.”
The most recent reported meeting took place over the weekend at Morton’s steakhouse in Washington, DC, not far from the White House.
Jennings has not publicly confirmed that he wants the job.
He has previously been pressed about the possibility during appearances on CNN but stopped short of ruling himself in or out.
The White House, however, denied that meetings between Jennings and Wiles took place.
That denial leaves the status of the discussions unclear as the administration continues weighing several possible replacements.
Jennings, a senior political commentator at CNN, has become one of the network’s most prominent conservative voices.
His appearances on CNN’s “NewsNight” frequently place him opposite liberal panelists, and his combative defense of Republican positions has raised his national profile.
The Daily Beast previously reported that Jennings had emerged as a frontrunner for the White House position.
Other reports, however, suggest President Donald Trump may prefer to select another woman to succeed Leavitt.
Several names have surfaced as possible contenders.
They reportedly include Department of Homeland Security press secretary Katie Zacharia, former DHS press secretary Tricia McLaughlin, Republican National Committee spokesperson Elizabeth Pipko and Housing official Bill Pulte.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, Breitbart DC bureau chief Matthew Boyle and former Kennedy Center spokesperson Roma Davari have also reportedly been discussed.
Former Trump attorney Alina Habba had emerged as another prominent possibility before publicly shutting down speculation Wednesday.
“Flattered by the Kalshi odds, but I’m not in the running for any job,” Habba wrote on X.
The competition for the position has reportedly become intense.
One insider described multiple contenders attempting to get in front of Trump during an event at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club over the weekend, per Trending Politics.
“They were all trying to get in front of him this weekend. It was like The Apprentice,” the source said.
Leavitt’s departure creates one of the most visible openings in the administration.
As White House press secretary, her successor would become a primary spokesperson for Trump, regularly facing reporters from the briefing room and defending administration policies on national television.
