‘Debasing himself for nothing’: Scott Jennings roasted as Trump snubs him for top job

CNN conservative commentator Scott Jennings became the target of online ridicule Friday after President Donald Trump named someone else as White House press secretary.

Trump announced Friday on Truth Social that he had appointed Katie Zacharia, a conservative television regular, to replace Karoline Leavitt, calling her “a loyal and brilliant supporter, right from the beginning” and “a devoted fan and member of MAGA!” Zacharia currently serves as a senior communications adviser at Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social, and briefly worked at DHS earlier this year.

The pick comes weeks after Jennings emerged as an early favorite for the job following Leavitt’s decision to leave the White House in August, according to CNN’s reporting at the time. Trump himself told reporters then that “Scott Jennings is good,” while Jennings declined to say whether he wanted the job.

But the announcement quickly sparked a wave of jokes jabbing Jennings, a CNN regular and staunch Trump defender.

“Scott Jennings has been debasing himself for nothing lol,” progressive YouTuber Jack Cocchiarella wrote.

Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow also joined the mockery.

“Sorry you lost your race too, @ScottJenningsKY,” she posted on X.

“Scott Jennings isn’t blond enough and doesn’t have gleaming white veneers. Better luck next time, Scott,” Geoff Brown, a retired school district administrator, wrote Friday.

Kevin R. Tipple, an editor and writer, offered another jab.

“A visibly angry @ScottJenningsKY blames Biden for this choice,” he joked.

Journalist Aaron Rupar piled on with a sarcastic reference to Jennings’ relationship with Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

“Scott Jennings responded to getting denied the press sec job by opening his heart to Mitch McConnell during their latest emotional 20 minute call,” Rupar wrote on social media.

Justin Baragona, a Zeteo News media columnist, openly questioned why Jennings didn’t land the job.

“She definitely fits the bill, as she’s an election denier, a full-blown MAGA defender, and has ties to Trump’s businesses and the administration,” Baragona wrote on X. “But it’s also telling that a more prominent name, like Scott Jennings, wasn’t tapped to replace Leavitt.”

“Scott Jennings remains on CNN,” Guardian media reporter Jeremy Barr posted, before offering a prediction about Jennings’ future: “where he should be in a particularly good position moving forward.” Leavitt, meanwhile, has landed a contributor role at Fox News.