President Donald Trump hinted on Sunday the White House has developed a short list of candidates to replace Karoline Leavitt as White House press secretary.
While speaking with reporters after returning from a trip to Ireland, Trump said: “We have a lot of people that want it.”
.@POTUS on his next Press Secretary: “I may have developed one over the weekend. We have a lot of people who want it.”
pic.twitter.com/tje9tD6QYC
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 13, 2026
“No, no, but I may have developed one over the weekend,” Trump said when asked if he had a favorite candidate or a short list. “Many people want it. Many people have been written about, as you know, but many people want it.”
Trump then reiterated the White House will continue to have administration officials and Cabinet secretaries hold press briefings, as has already happened many times since Leavitt went on maternity leave throughout the late spring and summer and since she left the role last month. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and other White House officials have held press briefings in Leavitt’s absence.
“You know, we’re going to do for a little while, we’re going to use the secretaries. Marco, maybe JD, JD just did it, he did a great job. We’re going to use Scott, we’re going to use [Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick], we’re going to use a lot of our secretaries, Linda McMahon is so great. And we’ll do it for a little while, but ultimately I’ll pick somebody.”
FIVE WAYS KAROLINE LEAVITT HELPED CHANGE THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SHOP
Leavitt, who took office at just 27 and is the youngest press secretary ever to hold the post, left the role in mid-August to raise her second child. She now works for the Trump-aligned super PAC MAGA Inc., and Trump said she “is one of the best White House Press Secretaries in the History of the Office” when she departed.
Trump has said conservative CNN commentator Scott Jennings “is good” in the context of the unfilled role, though it is unclear whether Jennings is under serious consideration. Trump has otherwise given little indication of who the next press secretary may be.
