President Donald Trump is reportedly considering Scott Jennings, an outspoken CNN commentator and prominent MAGA supporter, as his next White House Press Secretary — but according to the veteran Democratic strategists behind "Pod Save America," there is one clear reason he would fail in the role: his temperament.

The Trump administration is currently searching for a replacement for Karoline Leavitt, who is set to depart the press secretary post by the end of the month. Reports now indicate that Jennings — the conservative CNN pundit best known for his constant defenses of Trump and his tendency to get into shouting matches during panel debates — sits at the top of the president's list of candidates, with his recent outbursts defending the president's scandal-plagued assistant Natalie Harp purportedly serving as part of his audition for the job.

Discussing the situation on a recent episode of the "Pod Save America" podcast (YouTube), co-hosts Jon Favreau and Dan Pfeiffer — both former Obama administration officials — cited a report from NOTUS claiming that Trump is looking to put a man in the role, as he has staffed it exclusively with women since the departure of his first press secretary, Sean Spicer, near the start of his time in the White House — a run that has included Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Kayleigh McEnany before Leavitt. The report also suggested that Trump might alternatively consider elevating Harp to the position, but given the president's fondness for her and his reliance on her presence, Favreau and Pfeiffer dismissed that idea as a serious possibility. The podcast, which the two hosts run alongside fellow Obama administration alumni under their Crooked Media banner, ranks among the most-listened-to political shows in the country.

On the subject of Jennings potentially getting the job, Favreau, Barack Obama's former director of speechwriting, argued that his tendency to lash out in his TV appearances suggests he is too unstable and temperamental to handle the "pressure" of the role — a job whose daily test is standing at the briefing room podium for televised exchanges with an often adversarial press corps, where composure under fire is the baseline expectation. He specifically cited a recent segment in which Jennings appeared to be on the verge of tears while arguing with the young liberal commentator Adam Mockler.

"Karoline Leavitt, whatever else you want to say about her, she's pretty unflappable in that job," Favreau explained. "She's got the lying part, right, that you just mentioned, like she's nailed that. Same thing with, you know, Sarah Huckabee Sanders. But they are not nearly as emotional as Scott Jennings is... He loses his s—— on panels constantly, and Karoline Leavitt never lost her s—— in that briefing room."

Pfeiffer, Obama's former senior communications adviser, half-jokingly labeled Jennings a "snowflake beta" and contended that the very qualities that make him valuable as a CNN pundit would render him poorly suited to the White House Press Secretary role.

"I think he probably gets plaudits for that sort of losing his s—— on CNN. That's probably what they're going for; that's why they pay him," Pfeiffer said. "But in the White House briefing room, that's just not a particularly effective way of doing your job."

Former Trump biographer Michael Wolff recently claimed that Trump has staffed so many women in the role because of their ability to remain composed when he yells at them. That dynamic, Wolff added, was part of the reason the president parted ways with Spicer, citing a story in which Spicer allegedly cowered after being chewed out by Trump. With Leavitt's departure set for the end of the month, the window for a decision is short — and whether Trump taps Jennings, elevates Harp, or looks elsewhere, the choice will determine who inherits the podium for the daily briefings that serve as the administration's most regular point of contact with the press.

Source: Alternet