White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has reportedly made clear her new criteria for picking a new press secretary.
On Thursday, CNN senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes reported that Wiles has laid out what she’s seeking in the person she hires to replace outgoing Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who will leave at the end of August.
“One of the things that I was told by a number of sources is that Wiles has said that she is looking for a ‘grownup,’ somebody who understands the job and is also professional in that job,” Holmes said. “It’s one thing to just stand at the podium and attack, but they also want somebody who can work with reporters behind the scenes to actually try and shape the narrative.”
Leavitt announced earlier this month that she’s leaving her role to focus on her family. CNN conservative pundit Scott Jennings has been reported as an early favorite, and he reportedly met with Wiles about the job over the weekend.
“I’m told this came at the request of the White House,” Holmes said about Wiles’ meeting with Jennings. “This really was, for all intents and purposes, a preliminary meeting. This was the two of them meeting face-to-face for the first time as Susie Wiles is really starting this process to find a new press secretary.”
Holmes reported that the decision of who will replace Leavitt will be up to Wiles and President Donald Trump. Wiles’ meeting with Jennings was her “laying out exactly what she wanted from a press secretary and introducing herself to Jennings,” Holmes said.
“There’s a belief in the West Wing that she backs Jennings,” Holmes added. “But I did get some pushback from that, essentially saying it was too early to determine that the chief of staff had backed anyone.”
Wiles is asking, “Can he do all the closed-door legwork that has made Karoline so effective? No one knows,” Holmes said. “It’s not so much about Jennings. It’s so much about Karoline Leavitt leaving, and again, the critical role she has played.”
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