Trump Delays Pick for New Press Secretary Amid MAGA Factions

President Donald Trump shows no sign of hurrying to pick a new press secretary after Karoline Leavitt leaves the White House. That slow pace has not stopped eager MAGA supporters from fighting over the job.

Leavitt made her exit clear on August 12, stating she would step down to spend more time with her two young children: Nico, who is two, and four-month-old Viviana. She officially departed on August 27, yet no successor has been named.

The race for the role has drawn sharp attention from high-profile names already known in Trump circles. Scott Jennings of CNN is one candidate floating around Washington. Alina Habba, currently acting US Attorney for the District of New Jersey, is another serious contender. Maria Bartiromo, a former Fox Business host, also wants a shot at leading the press team.

Other people inside and near Trump's orbit are being watched closely as possible picks. These include White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly, senior campaign adviser Danielle Alvarez, and former first-term staffers Roma Daravi and Caroline Sunshine.

Leavitt herself remains nearby even after her departure announcement.

Caroline Sunshine started her career inside Trump's political machine, MAGA Inc., and now serves as a sounding board for the president on who should take over her spot. The open position has sparked fierce competition among aspiring press secretaries, drawing the attention of the West Wing to potential candidates trying to improve their odds. A Trump adviser noted that many people are pitching themselves for the role. CNN pundit Scott Jennings and Alina Habba, a former personal attorney for Trump who currently acts as US Attorney for the District of New Jersey, have been openly angling for the job.

Caroline Sunshine, 31, is a former aide to the 2024 Trump campaign and regularly appears on Fox News and CNN to comment on White House actions. Meanwhile, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Karoline Leavitt have been advising the president on who to pick as the next press secretary. The Daily Mail reported first that Jennings dined with Wiles shortly after Leavitt announced her departure, making him an early frontrunner. Sources told the Mail that Wiles was courting Jennings for the job; it seemed like his if he wanted it at that moment. However, this changed before White House personnel reviewed many of the CNN pundit's old comments about Trump.

Almost immediately after reports surfaced suggesting Jennings could be the next press secretary, past remarks condemning Trump's actions on January 6 began circulating within the White House. In an op-ed published for CNN on the day of the Capitol riot in 2021, Jennings wrote that President Donald Trump caused this insurrection with his lies and conspiracy theories about the election process being rigged against him. Former Congressman Matt Gaetz reposted a picture of the article's headline and stated, Scott Jennings for press secretary is a bad idea. Trump insiders took notice of Gaetz's post. One insider said there was no bad blood between the two, but it just wouldn't be workable given his last comments regarding January 6.

Jennings has since apologized for those past remarks about Trump. In a 2024 LA Times op-ed, he wrote I was wrong. Despite this apology, his close ties to Senator Mitch McConnell did not help his case. The senator is openly anti-Trump. Jennings recently defended McConnell's multi-month absence from Congress while the senator dealt with health issues resulting from a fall and pneumonia. His defense of the senator further hurt his chances of securing the role, according to an insider. Trump was turned off by the McConnell stuff and his past comments on January 6, a source familiar with the president's thinking told the Daily Mail. The president also said he felt Jennings was doing great for us on CNN and maybe he is more valuable there. Jennings declined to comment.

Alina Habba has also put herself forward for the role, according to multiple sources. While she said in mid-August that she is not in the running for any job, she added that if asked to serve, she would do it. Of course I would do it, she told conservative pundit Benny Johnson. Sources shared that Habba has a lot of connections within the White House, but the president is uninterested in giving her another job. He kind of feels like she has flamed out at the opportunities he's given her in the past.

There is absolutely zero chance of that happening," said one source regarding recent rumors. A spokesperson for Habba did not reply to requests from the Daily Mail for comment on these matters. Former Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo has entered the conversation as a potential candidate, according to multiple sources following her sudden exit from the network. The long-time anchor left after more than 12 years of work in early September, just days after Leavitt departed.

Bartiromo and Trump share a friendly rapport. She has interviewed the president numerous times over the years. He has routinely praised her reporting on social media platforms. Reports suggest she allegedly leaked internal Fox material with the White House when executives doubted election claims made by the president during an address in July, as the New York Times noted. The Daily Mail contacted her lawyer for a statement but received no immediate response.

While discussions about Bartiromo joining White House staff have rippled through the West Wing, sources say it remains unclear if she has had any meetings for the role. Those familiar with the search to replace Leavitt noticed several individuals effectively auditioning for the position. Roma Daravi, vice president of public relations at the Kennedy Center and an alumna from Trump's first term, began posting clips defending the president after the outgoing press secretary announced her departure.

Her efforts caught attention within the president's orbit, as did Caroline Sunshine, a former Disney Channel child actress who starred alongside Zendaya before entering politics. She started her career interning for Kevin McCarthy and later worked in the first Trump White House in 2018. She swiftly landed a job as an assistant in the press office there. The blonde 31-year-old has recently become a recognizable pundit on CNN, defending the president during roundtables and posting on X about his policy victories and comedic instinct.

"They are auditioning," a source said, adding it is apparent to everyone in the White House that the president has not expressed real interest in either candidate yet. One Trump adviser warned against selecting Sunshine, accusing her of being disloyal to Trump in the past. This included noting her criticism of US-Israel strikes in Iran in 2025. "I don't agree with President Trump's decision tonight," Sunshine wrote on X at that time.

Sunshine hit back at the whispers with a statement to the Daily Mail. She claimed White House officials spend their days tracking TV hits, tweets, and hairstyles. "Perhaps if the White House was 100 percent focused on correcting the fake news about the President, he'd be getting better press," she wrote. "Get back to work." Roma Daravi is thought to be angling for the press secretary role, sources shared this week.

Senior 2024 Trump campaign adviser Danielle Alvarez is also rumored to be among possible Leavitt replacements. She serves as a Freedom 250 spokeswoman and has been floated as a contender too. White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly is another name circling the room. She took on an expanded portfolio during the former press secretary's maternity leave earlier this year. Past administrations typically promote internally when a press secretary leaves, just as they did for Biden's Karine Jean-Pierre and Trump's first-term Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Though names continue to circulate, those in the president's orbit do not believe he feels pressed for time. He has not yet found the right person. "There's no rush," a Trump adviser told the Daily Mail about the ongoing search. The administration moves deliberately on this critical appointment.

Right now, he has not made a decision." Multiple people close to Donald Trump have openly questioned if replacing Karoline Leavitt is necessary at all. They point out his constant media appearances from inside the Oval Office or aboard Air Force One and while traveling. "He's going to be on the road a lot," one insider explained, noting that formal briefings will likely disappear during this period leading up to the midterms. The president will not have time for standard daily updates when he is moving constantly.

Any candidate chosen to fill Leavitt's shoes must be someone who can spend immense amounts of time with him. That role is a twenty-four-seven job for a highly demanding boss. "Look and loyalty matter to the president," the insider added, while warning that Trump is prone to changing his mind quickly. The next press secretary must also possess a combative aptitude for taking on the press, or as those in the White House call it, fake news. Anna Kelly, Leavitt's top deputy, has been mentioned as a potential name for the position.

The administration recently banned CNN, MS Now, and Politico from White House grounds, accusing them of peddling false reports. Whoever steps into the role must sing the same tune and be ready to combat the media instantly. This follows a previous order where AP was banned from the press pool before a federal judge forced access to be restored. The administration refers to itself as the most transparent in history despite these actions. While a rotating cast of cabinet members is prepared to hold down the fort, Trump indicated he may have developed a choice for press secretary during his recent trip to Ireland.

However, several insiders cast doubt on those remarks. One noted the president was just riffing and has not actually come to a determination yet. "The president will choose the best candidate for the job," White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said in a statement. He added that there are no announcements at this time. In the meantime, cabinet secretaries and administration officials will continue to hold briefings. It will be immensely difficult to replace Leavitt, whose ability to speak fluent Trump earned her rave reviews as the youngest ever press secretary for the White House.

Brooke Singman, a Republican strategist from Watchtower Strategy, told the Daily Mail that Karoline will be hard to replace. "People often forget that Karoline was once a politician herself," he said. That political experience gave her unique skills and perspective at the podium that you do not necessarily get from someone whose career has been entirely in communications. Whoever he chooses, it is clear that Trump is in no hurry. Insiders indicate that the post could even stay vacant until after the November elections.