The sudden dismissal of White House spokeswoman Katie Zakaria, just five days after her appointment, has shuffled the cards again within the corridors of President Donald Trump's administration, opening the door wide to a frenzied race to win one of the most prominent and sensitive positions in Washington.
This stormy dismissal of Zakaria comes a few months after the unexpected resignation of former spokeswoman Caroline Levitt, who left her position to devote herself to her family, which puts the American administration in the dilemma of searching for a “close voice” that is skilled at maneuvering in front of the fierce media.
Six prominent figures topped the nominations exchange to succeed Zakaria, according to informed American media reports. The names presented are receiving widespread attention amid anticipation to determine the identity of the new caliph.
Stephen Chung...the strong shadow man and the administration's safety valve
Stephen Chung, 43, stands out as one of the strongest candidates for the position, given his current position as White House communications director, where he worked closely with outgoing Speaker Carolyn Leavitt throughout Trump's second administration.
Chung is considered the most logical and stable choice at the present time, as he has a special chemistry with the president, and extensive experience in crisis management and dealing with “complex news cycles,” which makes him able to set the tone of the media platform without the need for a significant period of training or adaptation.
Anna Kelly... the party's daughter and automatic promotion from within the West Wing
Anna Kelly (in her thirties) comes as a natural and automatic choice behind the scenes of the West Wing, where she currently holds the position of deputy White House press secretary and worked directly under Levitt.
Kelly's career is characterized by deep roots in Trump's media machine, as she previously held the position of spokeswoman for his 2024 election campaign, and before that the position of national spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, which gives her high reliability and strong relationships with the party and media elite alike.
Katie Miller...family influence and the voice of the rising conservative podcast
Katie Miller, 36, is in a unique position to give insight into the behind-the-scenes of the administration, as she is the wife of Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff and the architect of tough immigration policies.
In addition to presenting an influential conservative “podcast” program in which she interviewed senior officials, Miller has solid government experience, as she previously held the position of media spokeswoman for the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), and she also worked as a spokeswoman for former Vice President Mike Pence between 2019 and 2021, which puts her in the box of favorite options for conservative hawks.
Taylor Budwich... The potential return of the offensive line engineer against the media
The name of 36-year-old Taylor Budwich is strongly mentioned as a figure capable of returning to the White House to control the media helm after he left it last year heading to the private sector.
Budwich was previously deputy chief of staff at the White House, and worked alongside administration magnates such as Dan Scavino and Miller.
Budwich was known for adopting Trump's fierce offensive line against the traditional media, and he was one of the prominent names in the legal battles related to the administration's media abuse, which makes him an ideal candidate if Trump wishes to escalate the media confrontation.
Scott Jennings... the future face of the screens capable of confronting the liberals
Scott Jennings, 48 years old, represents a seasoned media and political choice who combines television experience and previous administrative work in Washington, where he currently holds the position of political analyst and prominent contributor on CNN since he signed with it in 2017, in addition to his work as an opinion writer in the Los Angeles Times newspaper since 2019.
Jennings is no stranger to the corridors of the presidency, as he was appointed during the era of former President George W. Bush as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Political Affairs in February 2006, after a busy career in which he led Bush’s presidential campaign in Kentucky in 2000, and managed his re-election campaign in New Mexico in 2004. In addition to his legacy with the Bush administration, Jennings has broad legislative influence in the corridors of the “Republican Party”, where he is known By being a close advisor and lieutenant to prominent Senator Mitch McConnell, and a key partner in his 2002, 2008, and 2014 election campaigns.
This political weight - supported by his founding of “Ron Switch”, which is the largest public relations company in the state of Kentucky, and his regular writing for the “Louisville Courier-Journal” and “USA Today” newspapers - made him a strong ally of Trump, and a fierce defender of him on digital and television platforms.
Jennings was strongly proposed to replace Levitt the first time before the job went to Zakaria, making him today the most prepared and experienced replacement to run the media platform.
Alina Happa... absolute loyalty and sharp tongue in defense of the president
Alina Haba, 42 years old, remains the most daring and controversial choice on the list of candidates, given that she is from President Trump’s close and very trusted circle, where she worked as his personal lawyer, and a fierce legal and media advocate in complex cases, before briefly occupying the position of prosecutor in New Jersey.
Although Haba denied the rumors linking her to the position last summer, stressing that she does not want the position, the current state of vacuum and media turmoil may push Trump to pressure her to accept the job, taking advantage of her sharp tongue and absolute loyalty on conservative screens to control the chaos in the conference hall.
