Administration officials are pushing conservative commentator Ben Ferguson to become the next White House press secretary as President Donald Trump leans toward picking a man for the job, Fox News reported. CNN commentator Scott Jennings is also in the running for the position, which has been held by seven consecutive women, though Trump has not made a final decision. “His instincts are to pick a man. Which many people have told him that’s a good idea,” Fox News reported, citing administration insiders.
The post has been vacant since Oct 16, when Katie Zacharia left after five days on the job. Zacharia earlier on Tuesday denied a New York Post report that she was seeking to return through television appearances and outreach to new Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. On Monday, UFC CEO Dana White formally declined the role during a surprise White House briefing room appearance with Trump, saying, “I do not want to be in politics,” after Trump offered him the job on Truth Social on Saturday before saying Sunday that he was “only kidding.”