CNN's Scott Jennings favorite to replace Karoline Leavitt as White House press secretary, report says

Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News on Aug 13, 2026

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CNN pundit Scott Jennings is reportedly being considered to replace Karoline Leavitt’s as White House press secretary.

Leavitt announced Wednesday that she will leave her post in the Trump administration at the end of the month. The 28-year-old mother of two has held that position since Trump began his second term as president in January 2025.

Jennings, who has written for the Los Angeles Times and USA Today, in addition to being a political contributor on CNN, is being considered for her job, according to The Daily Beast.

The conservative pundit frequently appears on CNN’s “NewsNight with Abby Phillip.” His advocacy for the Trump administration is frequently met with heated opposition on the program.

By his own account, filling Leavitt’s shoes would be a challenge. He was asked on Wednesday night’s program if he might be her replacement.

“I don’t know, but I’ll tell you this, Karoline Leavitt has been maybe the greatest White House secretary of the past 30 years at least,” Jennings told his CNN colleagues. “She’s been nothing short of brilliant.”

The Daily Beast credited “sources with knowledge of the situation” for reporting on Jennings’ alleged candidacy.

Jennings’ political résumé includes campaign work with former President George W. Bush and now-ailing Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell.

Jennings, 48, from Kentucky, said recently that he’s been in contact with McConnell, who’s taken time away from the Senate since being hospitalized since June 14 after a fall.

According to Jennings, the 84-year-old statesman is being “intensely private” about the health issues he’s being treated for, but is on the mend.

In a farewell statement announcing her “bittersweet decision to depart the White House,” Leavitt indicated she wants to spend more time with her children. A call to the White House Press Office went unanswered.