(TNND) — With Karoline Leavitt moving on from her role as White House press secretary at the end of August, speculation is swirling over who could replace her at the podium in President Donald Trump’s press briefing room.
The Kalshi prediction market lists Anna Kelly, the White House principal deputy press secretary; Scott Jennings, a conservative political commentator who appears on CNN; and attorney Alina Habba as top candidates.
USA Today’s White House correspondent wrote about 10 possibilities getting early buzz as Leavitt replacements – including the aforementioned names – along with Katie Miller, Stephen Miller’s wife and former Vice President Mike Pence’s former press secretary; Steven Cheung, the White House communications director; Roma Daravi, a former Trump White House deputy communications director; and Kari Lake, a former TV news anchor who has unsuccessfully run for both governor and U.S. Senate in Arizona.
Todd Belt, a professor of political management at George Washington University, said he’s not sure who Trump will pick to replace Leavitt, but he does know what Trump will be looking for in a new press secretary.
“Quality of presentation style is something he likes,” Belt said. “Determination to stay on message and hit back hard. That’s something he really likes. And to look good doing it. That’s also something that he really likes.”
Belt said Trump is less concerned than some previous presidents with finding a press secretary who’ll manage relationships with reporters in a traditional give-and-take way.
Belt said Kelly, the current principal deputy press secretary, might make sense.
He called the idea of Lake in the role “an interesting one.”
Belt said he didn’t see Cheung as a likely candidate for press secretary.
“But the other thing I would say is Donald Trump really likes to find someone new on things,” Belt said. “So, the odds-on favorite for me is a dark horse candidate.”
FILE – White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt talks to reporters during a news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on May 9, 2025, in Washington. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Peter Loge, Belt’s colleague at GW and the director of the School of Media and Public Affairs, said Trump will be looking for “a loyal mouthpiece” in his new press secretary.
“I think President Trump is different than President Obama and Biden in that he likes engaging with the press,” Loge said. “He likes the give and take. He’ll call (reporters), they’ll call him, which means he feels like he needs an intermediary much less than some of his predecessors. As such, it’s a different role, and the role is much more someone who’s going to sit there and just repeat Trump things to a bunch of people who want to know what Trump thinks, rather than a strategic partner or a thinker or someone who’s going to freelance.”
Loge, too, said the current principal deputy press secretary seems like an obvious replacement for Leavitt.
Loge poured cold water on the idea of Lake – or anyone else with that level of existing brand identity – taking over the job. He said Trump doesn’t want a press secretary who would want the spotlight for themselves.
Loge said he expects Trump to pick someone well known to the Washington press corps but not to the American public at large.
Both Belt and Loge said whoever takes over for Leavitt is taking over one of the hardest jobs in Washington.
“It’s a grind of a job,” Loge said. “The hours are brutal. You only ever get yelled at either by your boss or the press or the American public. (Leavitt) has two kids. I applaud her for being this loyal and hanging on as long as she has.”
