New Names Emerge To Replace Karoline Leavitt
President Donald Trump has a major personnel decision approaching, and Washington is already buzzing about who could become one of the most visible members of his administration.
Several familiar Trump allies are being discussed for the position, while another possibility could dramatically change how the White House handles its daily interactions with the press.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Wednesday that she will leave her position at the end of August to spend more time with her two young children, setting off speculation about who Trump will select to replace her.
With only about two weeks remaining before Leavitt’s departure, potential contenders reportedly include Alina Habba, deputy press secretary Anna Kelly, CNN conservative commentator Scott Jennings and several other prominent Trump allies.
There is also speculation that Trump could decide against immediately naming one permanent replacement and instead use a rotating group of administration officials to brief reporters.
The White House experimented with that approach while Leavitt was on maternity leave earlier this summer, when Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz each appeared before reporters.
Former Trump White House press secretary Sean Spicer believes whoever ultimately receives the job will almost certainly already have Trump’s confidence.
“The next press secretary will undoubtedly be someone who has a strong existing relationship with President Trump,” Spicer told Fox News Digital.
“He values and understands the importance of this role in communicating his positions on policy, personnel and key issues, so I can’t imagine it not being someone currently in his orbit,” Spicer added.
Spicer himself removed his name from consideration for another stint behind the podium.
Habba, Trump’s former personal attorney and a prominent surrogate during the 2024 presidential campaign, has once again emerged in speculation surrounding the position.
Habba was considered a potential press secretary after Trump’s 2024 victory but said at the time that she was “flattered” while believing she would “be better served in other capacities.”
She subsequently served as counselor to the president before taking a controversial position as interim U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey, eventually becoming senior advisor to the attorney general for U.S. Attorneys.
Another name attracting attention is Jennings, the conservative CNN contributor who has become a prominent defender of Trump administration policies during frequently combative television panel discussions.
Jennings was reportedly considered for the position after Trump’s 2024 election victory before Leavitt ultimately received the job, and Trump has since publicly praised him as a “patriot” who “gets it.”
Kelly represents another potential path because she already serves as Trump’s principal deputy press secretary and took on a more public-facing role during Leavitt’s maternity leave.
Kelly regularly handled television appearances during that period, although she has not yet conducted a formal White House press briefing from the podium.
Senior White House adviser Stephen Miller and his wife, Katie Miller, have also been mentioned on social media as possible contenders.
When Stephen Miller was asked Wednesday about the possibility of his wife taking Leavitt’s position, he declined to answer verbally and instead smiled in the direction of the person asking the question.
Katie Miller previously served as press secretary and communications director for former Vice President Mike Pence.
White House communications director Stephen Cheung, one of Trump’s most aggressive and recognizable defenders, is another possibility despite traditionally maintaining a more behind-the-scenes role.
Breitbart Washington Bureau Chief Matthew Boyle and former White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich have also surfaced in discussions about possible successors.
Whoever receives the job would follow a press secretary who has already become one of the longest-serving of Trump’s presidency, Fox News reported.
Leavitt has served approximately 19 months, placing her behind only Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who spent roughly 23 months as Trump’s press secretary during his first administration.
BREAKING: Dolly Parton’s Cause Of Death Revealed: ‘Brief Battle’
Dolly Parton’s death came after a brief battle with cancer, her representatives revealed Tuesday.
The country music legend died Aug. 25 at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville. She was 80.
Parton had been admitted to the cancer center Friday, four days before her death. Her representatives confirmed the cancer diagnosis in a statement to PEOPLE but did not disclose what type she had.
“Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched. Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand,” the statement read.
“Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact. After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones,” the statement concluded.
The “Jolene” singer had also been dealing with kidney and autoimmune issues before her death, PEOPLE previously reported.
Just days earlier, Dolly Parton opened up about her declining health and acknowledged that she had put off addressing some medical issues while caring for her husband, Carl.
“As I’ve shared in video messages throughout the past year, I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over [my husband] Carl. You know, this isn’t the first time I’ve had to manage something like this. Back in the early ’80s, I was down for several months with female issues, and I was struggling with my weight at the time too, so it’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health,” Parton told PEOPLE.
Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, announced her death in an Instagram video Tuesday on behalf of the Parton and Owens family.
“My name is Bryan Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, and I’m representing the Parton and Owens family today announcing the passing of my aunt, Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean, Sister, Sis and Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next,” he says in the video.
Seaver, who served as Parton’s head of security for more than two decades, said she had asked him years earlier to deliver the announcement.
“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,” he continued. “As her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it until now.”
Seaver said the moment brought immense pride and heartbreak, but he took comfort in his faith that Parton had been reunited with Carl and other loved ones.
Seaver added: “It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly. Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents and countless othe
Shocking 'truth' behind Prince Harry's decision to quit major role
Prince Harry should have "resigned in disgrace" from the board of a controversial African wildlife charity, a commentator says. James Walker makes the bombshell remark in Wednesday's episode of this publication's podcast, Daily Expresso.
He and the show's host, JJ Anisiobi, delve into the Duke of Sussex's dramatic decision to step down from African Parks. James, commenting on the controversy, said: "When you hear about this stuff and how long it's been going on for, you should be resigning in disgrace. [Harry] should be saying: 'I'm not touching that with a barge pole. That is a failed entity. We're going nowhere near it'.
"But no. He's still saying he's going to 'support their mission'. And again this Caroline Pearce, executive director of Survival International, goes on to say: 'His departure doesn't undo that record'.
"She alleged that African Parks was aware of the abuses for years, but it was only after Survival complained to Harry that the charity finally commissioned an investigation."
James added: "Well, she's got a point."
It emerged on Monday (August 24) that Harry was no longer a board member of the wildlife charity.
The conservation organisation has admitted that human rights abuses were committed by its rangers against members of the semi-nomadic Baka group in Congo-Brazzaville.
African Parks has said since that it has improved its safeguarding processes both in the Odzala-Kokoua National Park and institutionally.
Its admission followed an independent human rights investigation into allegations guards managed and paid by the charity had beaten, raped and tortured indigenous people in Odzala-Kokoua National Park.
Harry was president of the charity for six years before he became a member of its board of directors in 2023.
A spokesman for the Duke said he remains an active and avid supporter of African Parks. He added: "The Duke is proud of his 10 years with African Parks and fully supports the ongoing strengthening of its board.
"His commitment to conservation in Africa continues and he remains a supporter of African Parks’ mission."
Human rights organisation, Survival International, said it had been calling on Harry to step down from African Parks for years.
The group's director, Caroline Pearce, said in a statement: "It’s outrageous that for 10 years Prince Harry has served African Parks while the organisation has been responsible for abuse and violence against Indigenous people.
"His departure doesn't undo that record — African Parks itself must now be held accountable, and must abandon this model of fortress conservation for good."
Survival International said indigenous peoples know how best to manage their land and the idea outsiders know better is racist and colonial.
