The White House is once again without a press secretary after Katie Zacharia was fired just five days into the job following her widely-panned inaugural briefing.
Her successor has not been announced, though several names have circulated in recent months as potential candidates for the administration’s top spokesperson, including CNN commentator Scott Jennings and Margo Martin, a special assistant to President Donald Trump.
Zacharia, a former Homeland Security spokesperson and Newsmax contributor, took over October 12, replacing Karoline Leavitt, who left in August to spend more time with her young children. Trump hailed Zacharia as “a loyal and brilliant supporter” when announcing her appointment.
Her first briefing, held the next day, lasted just 14 minutes. She haltingly read from prepared remarks, mistakenly referred to her husband as “my president” and took questions from only three journalists. The performance drew criticism both outside the administration and within the White House. By October 16, she had been fired.
The vacancy at the briefing room podium comes at a critical moment. The midterm elections are just two weeks away with polls suggesting Republicans could face steep losses, potentially stripping them of their House and Senate majorities.
“President Trump and his team are focused on the midterm elections,” White House Communications Director Steven Cheung told The Independent. “The President is the best messenger and unmatched motivator for the Republican Party and he will continue crisscrossing the country to share his commonsense, America First agenda directly with the American people.”
Here are some of the individuals who have been floated to serve as Trump’s chief spokesperson.
Scott Jennings
One name that has emerged in recent months is Scott Jennings, a conservative CNN commentator and frequent defender of the president. He previously worked on campaigns for outgoing Senator Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican.
Jennings was in contention for the job before Zacharia was hired, Axios reported. Trump voiced positive views about Jennings in August after Leavitt announced her departure, telling reporters: “Scott Jennings is good.”
When asked on CNN that month whether he would accept the position, Jennings sidestepped the question.
Trump has not hired a male press secretary since Sean Spicer, who served for about six months in 2017. While Anthony Scaramucci didn’t serve as White House press secretary, his 11-day stint as communications director lasted slightly longer than Zacharia’s tenure.
Margo Martin
Margo Martin, a special assistant and communications advisor to Trump, who previously worked as a host at NewsNation, has also been mentioned as a potential press secretary.
Trump named Martin, a graduate of Texas Christian University, as a potential replacement for Leavitt in August. “Maybe Margo?” he said to reporters. “What do you think of Margo?”
Anna Kelly
Anna Kelly, a special assistant to the president and White House deputy press secretary, is also viewed by some as a leading contender to replace Zacharia, according to Newsweek.
The 29-year-old previously served as a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee.
As of Monday, the online prediction market Kalshi puts Kelly’s chances of landing the job at 16 percent, slightly ahead of Jennings at 14.8 percent.
Maria Bartiromo
Another TV personality who could be in contention is Maria Bartiromo, a longtime Fox Business host and Trump ally, who parted ways with the network in September.
Status reported that Bartiromo was fired after she violated her employment agreement by leaking a company directive to the White House.
Her attorney disputed that account, telling The Independent: “Those reporting her firing or the incredulous facts supporting that fiction have exhibited a complete and utter reckless disregard for the truth.”
“Maria is a total professional, and a true warrior,” Trump wrote on Truth Social following her exit from Fox News.
The president had wanted to hire Bartiromo before choosing Zacharia, according to Axios. But the former Fox host had indicated she would not accept the job.
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