2026-08-20T17:46:21.143Z / 美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）
多位知情人士告诉CNN，斯科特·詹宁斯已成为下一任白宫新闻秘书的早期热门人选，但所有人都强调，整个选拔过程远未结束。
两位熟悉此次会面的消息人士透露，白宫办公厅主任苏西·瓦伊尔斯应白宫要求，近日在华盛顿特区的马斯特罗牛排馆会见了CNN撰稿人詹宁斯，多名幕僚认为他得到了瓦伊尔斯的支持。
“他能力出众，擅长电视出镜。”一位白宫高级官员在谈到瓦伊尔斯为何对詹宁斯表现出兴趣时说道，詹宁斯是参议员米奇·麦康奈尔的长期顾问，也曾在乔治·W·布什政府任职。
CNN已联系詹宁斯置评。
这位资深共和党战略家只是少数几位引起白宫兴趣的候选人之一，一位消息人士称，瓦伊尔斯计划在做出任何决定前与其他几位潜在竞争者会面。随着卡罗琳·利夫特将于月底离任，而中期选举仅剩不到三个月，白宫正面临一个关键职位空缺，但官员们强调不会仓促推进选拔流程。
另一位白宫官员则驳斥了瓦伊尔斯目前已支持某人的说法，称这位办公厅主任将慢慢来，找到最合适的人选。
两位消息人士称，瓦伊尔斯正在寻找一位“成熟稳重”的人选，既要熟悉这份工作的运作方式，又能以政府发言人的身份保持专业水准，因此候选人很可能来自外部。
官员们表示，唐纳德·特朗普总统也告诉团队，他愿意花时间权衡各种选择，并不急于做出决定。CNN此前曾报道，特朗普正考虑再次轮换内阁官员来无限期承担新闻发布会的工作。
不过，最近几天有关詹宁斯的讨论越来越多。
周三，当被CNN主播艾比·菲利普问到是否正在接受该职位的面试时，詹宁斯避而不答。
“我对此没有任何评论。”他在《新闻之夜》节目中说道，同时似乎借此机会表明自己理解该职位的重要性。
“我认为每位总统都值得拥有一位优秀、可靠的辩护者，能够挺身而出解释政府的工作，因为政府正在推进大量事务，”詹宁斯说，“美国民众应该有人站出来，尽可能清晰地向他们介绍总统和政府的动向。这份工作是台前幕后保持透明度的桥梁，这一点至关重要。”
詹宁斯拒绝透露是否曾就该职位与白宫进行过具体沟通，也不愿说明如果获得职位邀请是否会接受。一位消息人士坚称他并非在争抢这份工作，指出这位政治顾问与四个学龄子女住在肯塔基州。
围绕谁将接替利夫特的持续讨论中，一个关键要点是，除了要能在讲台前为特朗普发声、充当“攻击犬”之外，还需找到能与记者在幕后密切合作的人选。
利夫特是总统信任并听取其意见的少数顾问之一，团队希望她的继任者也能处于类似位置。例如，利夫特会定期在与特朗普的私人会议上发表意见，包括超出沟通职责范围的议题。
一些官员担忧，选择特朗普曾评价“看起来符合形象”且在电视上表现得体的詹宁斯，可能只会让他主要成为传递信息的公众面孔。
“他能完成让利夫特如此高效的所有幕后协调工作吗？没人知道。”一位特朗普顾问告诉CNN。
与此同时，白宫幕僚们对利夫特即将离任的担忧与日俱增。利夫特上周宣布将于月底离职，以便有更多时间陪伴年幼的家人。
“她思虑周全，从不冲动，确实懂这份工作。外部人士并不了解这套运作机制，”一位白宫官员说，“有时候感觉只有她和苏西（瓦伊尔斯）在撑着这个团队。”
至少一位常被猜测角逐新闻秘书职位的人选本周已退出竞争。前律师、特朗普的政治顾问阿利娜·哈巴曾短暂担任新泽西州联邦代理检察官，她周三表示自己并未申请该职位。
“很荣幸被博彩公司列为热门人选，但我并未竞争任何职位，”哈巴在X平台上发文称。
与此同时，又有一个名字加入了候选人名单。据一位消息人士透露，在娜塔莉·哈普引发媒体热议后，特朗普曾向顾问开玩笑说，或许会任命自己的行政助理担任该职位。
Scott Jennings emerges as early favorite to replace Karoline Leavitt but process is just beginning
2026-08-20T17:46:21.143Z / CNN
Scott Jennings has emerged as an early favorite for next White House press secretary, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CNN, though all stressed that the process is far from complete.
Chief of staff Susie Wiles recently met with Jennings, who is a CNN contributor, at Mastro’s Steakhouse in Washington, DC, at the request of the White House, two sources familiar with the meeting said, and multiple staffers believe he has her backing.
“He’s competent and good on TV,” one senior White House official said of why Wiles had shown interest in Jennings, a longtime adviser to Sen. Mitch McConnell who also served in the George W. Bush administration.
CNN has reached out to Jennings.
The longtime GOP strategist is just one of a few candidates who has piqued the interest of the White House, and one source said Wiles plans to meet with several other potential contenders before making any decisions. With Karoline Leavitt’s departure at the end of the month and the midterms less than three months away, the White House is facing a critical vacancy — but officials have stressed they’re not rushing the process.
And another White House official pushed back on the idea that Wiles is backing anyone at this point, saying the chief of staff will take her time to find the right fit.
Wiles is looking for a “grown up” who understands how the job works and can maintain a level of professionalism as the face of the administration, two sources said, with that the candidate likely to be external.
President Donald Trump has also told his team he is happy to take his time weighing his options, and isn’t in a rush to make a decision, officials said. He’s weighing relying again on a rotating cast of Cabinet officials to handle press briefings for an indefinite period, CNN previously reported.
Still, chatter about Jennings has grown in recent days.
Asked by CNN’s Abby Phillip if he was interviewing for the job, Jennings demurred on Wednesday.
“I don’t have any comment about that,” he said on “NewsNight,” while appearing to use the opportunity to show he understands the importance of the role.
“I think every president deserves a good, solid defense and someone who can go out there and explain what they’re doing, because the government’s doing so much,” Jennings said. “The American people deserve somebody to go out there and tell them what’s going on with their president and with the government as much as they can. That that job is the conduit to transparency in front of the camera and also behind the scenes, and that’s an important part.”
Jennings refused to say if he had been in communication with the White House about the job specifically or if he would take the job if offered. One source insisted that he is not gunning for the job, pointing to the fact that the political operative lives in Kentucky with his four school-aged children.
A big part of the ongoing conversations over who should replace Leavitt is finding someone who can work closely with reporters behind the scenes, in addition to being an attack dog for Trump behind the podium.
Leavitt is part of a small group of advisers whom the president trusts and listens to, and the team would like her replacement to be similarly positioned. Leavitt, for example, regularly weighs in during private meetings with Trump, including on issues outside the scope of communications.
And some officials have raised concerns that selecting a person like Jennings, whom Trump has said “looks the part” and handles himself well on television, may serve primarily as a public face for messaging.
“Can he do all the closed door legwork that has made Karoline so effective? No one knows,” one Trump adviser told CNN.
Meanwhile, there’s growing concern among White House staffers over the imminent departure of Leavitt, who announced last week that she’d be leaving the job at the of the month to spend more time with her young family.
“She’s thoughtful, she’s not impulsive, she actually understands the job. Some outside person doesn’t understand the way it works,” one White House official said. “It feels like her and Susie (Wiles) are the only people holding this place together sometimes.”
At least one name often speculated to be vying for the press secretary job removed herself from the running this week. Alina Habba, a former lawyer and political adviser to Trump who briefly served as acting US attorney for the District of New Jersey, said Wednesday that she’s not seeking the position.
“Flattered by the Kalshi odds, but I’m not in the running for any job,” Habba posted on X.
At the same time, another name has entered the mix. Following the media firestorm around Natalie Harp, the president has joked to advisers that maybe he would tap his executive assistant for the role, according to one source.
发表回复