Trump Floats Margo Martin in Press Secretary Search as Scott Jennings' Frontrunner Status Is Questioned
Key Takeaways
- •Karoline Leavitt, who became the youngest press secretary in White House history at age 27 when she assumed the role in January, is departing the position.
- •Trump suggested Margo Martin, a special assistant to the president and communications adviser, as a possible successor after giving Scott Jennings only a muted endorsement.
- •Scott Jennings, a CNN commentator and former Mitch McConnell campaign strategist, had been viewed as the frontrunner following undisclosed meetings with chief of staff Susie Wiles, but no formal offer has been made.
- •Some members of Trump's inner circle have reportedly worked against Jennings' candidacy because of his connection to Senator Mitch McConnell.
- •Trump cycled through four press secretaries in his first term, and the next appointee will oversee the daily briefing that serves as the administration's most regular public forum.
President Donald Trump appears in no hurry to hand the White House podium to Scott Jennings, and on Friday he pointedly dropped a new name into the mix.
Asked about his search for a press secretary to replace the departing Karoline Leavitt — who at 27 became the youngest press secretary in White House history when she took the job in January — Trump gave the CNN pundit a lukewarm nod before pivoting.
"Scott Jennings is good," Trump said, according to CBS News reporter Kathryn Watson. "What do you think of Margo? Maybe Margo." He added, "I have never had so many job applications in my life."
The "Margo" in question is Margo Martin, a longtime Trump spokeswoman who serves as a special assistant to the president and communications adviser. She was photographed boarding Marine One with Trump that same afternoon. Martin has been a familiar figure in Trump's orbit for years, traveling with him and handling communications duties across his campaigns and White House operations.
The idea quickly drew a booster: "I might get into trouble with Margo, but she would make a great press sec," posted Katie Miller, a former DOGE official and wife of top White House aide Stephen Miller.
The public flirtation is the latest sign that Jennings — reported to be the frontrunner after secret meetings with chief of staff Susie Wiles — may not be the lock some coverage suggested, according to Raw Story. Jennings, a veteran Republican strategist who worked on Mitch McConnell's campaigns before becoming a CNN political commentator, has spent weeks in what critics called a public audition, sending clips of his Trump-friendly CNN hits to White House staffers, though no offer has been extended.
The job has changed hands quickly under Trump before: he cycled through four press secretaries in his first term — Sean Spicer, Sarah Sanders, Stephanie Grisham and Kayleigh McEnany — and whoever replaces Leavitt will inherit the daily briefing that serves as the administration's most regular public-facing forum.
Behind the scenes, some in Trump's orbit have reportedly worked to sink his chances over his ties to ailing Sen. Mitch McConnell.
"It's not going to be him," one source told the New York Post, calling the search "an open book."
