Who might be the next White House press secretary after Katie Zacharia’s exit

Here’s who the president might be interviewing next to fill the open press secretary role.

Top contenders on betting markets

Three possible contenders are leading the pack on Kalshi.

As of Friday afternoon, CNN political commentator Scott Jennings is first at 19%, followed by principal deputy White House press secretary Anna Kelly at 18% and former Republican National Committee national spokeswoman Elizabeth Pipko at 11%.

Jennings is known as a conservative commentator on CNN who has been praised by Trump.

Kelly served as a spokeswoman for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign before joining the White House. She previously worked for the RNC and Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI).

Pipko, the author of Finding My Place, was spokeswoman for the RNC in 2024, after working on Trump’s presidential campaign.

Internal White House picks

Aside from Kelly, there are several other names rumored as possible options for press secretary who are already working on the president’s team. 

Both White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller and his wife, Katie, have been speculated as possible successors to Zacharia.

Stephen Miller has been senior adviser to Trump for years, and is particularly known for pushing strong views on immigration policy.

Katie Miller once served as former Vice President Mike Pence’s communications director and has held several other government roles, including one of the first advisers named to Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. She now runs a podcast geared toward conservatives, where she routinely interviews major figures in Washington, such as Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

White House communications director Steven Cheung has a long and close history with Trump, having held senior roles on all three of his presidential campaigns. Cheung’s political career goes back decades, when he once held an intern position in former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office.

From the Cabinet agencies

Tricia McLaughlin was the Department of Homeland Security’s senior spokeswoman under the Trump administration until February. Prior to that, she served in various senior communications advisory roles in Ohio politics, including for now-gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy and Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH).

Kingsley Wilson has been the Department of War‘s press secretary since May 2025. She previously had stints at the Center for Renewing America and Trump’s 2020 campaign, among other positions. However, she held only one press conference during her tenure at the department, in December 2025. Her father is Steve Cortes, a campaign spokesman during Trump’s 2016 and 2020 bids.

Other names

Alina Habba could be in line to be interviewed. Habba was once Trump’s personal attorney as he navigated complex legal battles. The president later picked her to become acting U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey. Habba resigned from that position last December.

TRUMP TRANSITIONING KATIE ZACHARIA OUT OF PRESS SECRETARY ROLE — BUT WILL KEEP SUSIE WILES

Although likely an unserious candidate, Laura Loomer has floated herself as a successor to Zacharia. The media personality is known for stirring interparty squabbles in Washington circles and holds a strong following on social media.

“I would be an amazing Press Secretary. I’d show President Trump all the receipts. I would bring my binder full of receipts to every briefing,” Loomer said.