Speculation Rises Over Next White House Press Secretary

Former senior adviser to President Donald Trump, Danielle Alvarez, is currently leading the prediction market Kalshi as the top candidate to become the next White House press secretary. As of Monday, she held a 19 percent chance of selection, ahead of current principal deputy press secretary Anna Kelly, who has a 14 percent chance, and political commentator Scott Jennings at 7 percent. Just a few days earlier, Alvarez’s chances were at 3.5 percent.

Alvarez, known for her role as a communications strategist, previously served as a senior adviser during Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and as communications director for the Republican National Committee during the 2022 midterm elections. After her advisory position, she joined Mercury Public Affairs while still consulting for the Trump administration.

Over the weekend, Trump posted on Truth Social about offering UFC CEO Dana White the press secretary position, only to later clarify that the offer was a joke.

Speculation continues to grow as the search for a new press secretary goes on, following Karoline Leavitt’s departure in August. Leavitt, the youngest press secretary in U.S. history, left to focus on her family, as Trump confirmed on Truth Social.

Katie Zacharia filled the role briefly in October but was dismissed by Trump after a controversial debut. Among other potential candidates is Katie Miller, former communications director to Mike Pence and the Department of Government Efficiency. She recently announced halting her podcast to support her husband Steven Miller in his new role as Trump’s chief of staff.

Unexpectedly, rapper Nicki Minaj’s name surfaced as a potential candidate. Trump mentioned her as a consideration in an October interview.

Trump Clarifies Comments on Dana White

Trump walked back his remarks about offering the press secretary position to Dana White. He referred to his statement as lighthearted, stating that people should recognize it as a joke.

The initial post led to confusion about which Dana White Trump was referring to. Some mistook UFC CEO Dana White for Dana W. White, a former Pentagon spokesperson. Dana W. White addressed the confusion on LinkedIn and expressed no interest in the role.