Politico: Trump’s press secretary exit sparks scramble for successor

US President Donald Trump’s decision to replace White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has triggered an internal scramble over who will take one of the administration’s most prominent communications roles.

Leavitt’s planned departure reportedly caught some White House officials off guard, while several names have emerged as potential candidates to succeed her. There is currently no clear frontrunner, according to two people close to the administration who spoke anonymously to Politico about internal discussions.

Among those being discussed are Monica Crowley, Trump’s chief of protocol and a veteran conservative media personality; CNN commentator Scott Jennings; former Trump campaign spokesperson Jason Miller; and former Trump counsel Alina Habba.

One of Leavitt’s deputies, Anna Kelly, is also seen as a potential candidate after taking on a broad role in the White House press operation and appearing on several major television networks.

Katie Miller, a former administration official and wife of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, has also been mentioned. However, one person close to the White House dismissed the possibility, saying: “Not happening.”

The second person described Leavitt’s departure as “unplanned,” adding: “this is a super important job for DJT… there is probably time before he makes a decision.”

“I think the White House will do a real search here. So what does the entire landscape look like — TV people, admin people, and inner circle folks like Jason [Miller] and Alina [Habba] have some chatter,” the person said.

The White House did not respond to questions about whether Trump had selected a successor or whether Cabinet secretaries could temporarily fill the position, as happened during Leavitt’s maternity leave.

Trump announced on August 12 that Leavitt would leave her post at the end of August to spend more time with her family. The 28-year-old has served as one of the administration’s most visible public figures for roughly a year and a half.

By Sabina Mamamdli