In yet another stab at making a bid to assume White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt's job, GOP strategist turned CNN pundit Scott Jennings is sending clips of himself to members of Donald Trump's inner circle.
According to a report from Politico Playbook, the controversial conservative gadfly has ramped up his bid for a new job by rushing to the defense of Trump aide Natalie Harp, and he is not shy about letting the White House know he has their back as reporting on Trump's constant younger companion has become a media obsession.
Jennings "pounced on the drama" to turn what some in the White House described as a rapid response team misfire back on Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff, a potential 2028 Democratic contender.
According to Politico, Jennings dedicated radio airtime, fired off rounds of tweets and used his primetime perch on CNN to defend both Harp and the president. His multi-pronged defense labeled Ossoff a "sucker-punching coward" and drew cheers from the pro-Trump crowd.
"I just don't think that's what you sign up for when you're someone like Natalie Harp, who never put her name on a ballot. She's not the White House press secretary. She's not a household name, and I just find it to be appalling," Jennings told Playbook. "Somebody needs to defend her honor."
Some in Trump's circle took notice as focus shifted away from the White House, according to the report. Others viewed Jennings' efforts as a "public audition" for the White House Press Secretary position he has been seeking since the transition.
Jennings sent clips of his appearances to "several senior staffers" at the White House. He also has reportedly met privately with Chief of Staff Susie Wiles over the weekend after reaching out to schedule the meeting, with the report adding, "No decision was made and no offer was extended."
Trump reportedly likes Jennings, and the report states the president "has spent recent days calling allies" to ask their opinions on him as a potential replacement for Leavitt, according to sources familiar with the conversations.
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