Speculation Grows Over Next White House Press Secretary

Danielle Alvarez, a former senior adviser to President Donald Trump, is the leading contender on Kalshi’s prediction market to become the next White House press secretary. As of Monday morning, Alvarez holds a 19 percent likelihood, surpassing Anna Kelly, principal deputy press secretary, at 14 percent and political commentator Scott Jennings at 7 percent. On Saturday, Alvarez’s chance stood at 3.5 percent.

Alvarez, a Cuban American communications strategist, was a senior adviser during Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and served as communications director for the Republican National Committee in the 2022 midterm elections. Post-campaign, she joined Mercury Public Affairs, a bipartisan strategy firm, while still offering consultancy to the Trump administration.

Trump recently caused confusion when he posted on Truth Social about offering the press secretary position to Dana White, CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He subsequently clarified it was a joke. Newsweek sought comment from Alvarez.

The Ongoing Search for a New Press Secretary

Speculation around the next White House press secretary remains high since Karoline Leavitt’s departure in August. Trump, via Truth Social, confirmed Leavitt left to prioritize her family, a decision he respected.

A permanent successor has not been named. Conservative commentator Katie Zacharia briefly filled the post in October but was fired after an criticized debut briefing.

Katie Miller, former communications director to Mike Pence and the Department of Government Efficiency, is among the mentioned candidates. Recently, she announced a break from her podcasting activities after her husband became Trump’s chief of staff.

In a surprising suggestion, Trump mentioned rapper Nicki Minaj as a potential press secretary during an interview.

Trump Clarifies Joke About Dana White

Trump retracted the statement about Dana White, clarifying it was made humorously. On Saturday, he had posted an offer to White, joking about his capabilities for the position. Speaking in Palm Beach, Trump dismissed the intense online reaction, noting he was joking.

The post sparked confusion online, as some speculated Trump had mistaken the UFC executive for Dana W. White, former assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs. The latter clarified on LinkedIn there was a mix-up, humorously pointing out her preference to stay out of combat sports.

For further details, contact Newsweek editors Matthew Cannon and Anthony Murray.