Trump Floats Fox News Star Peter Doocy for White House Press Secretary
President Donald Trump has floated Fox News senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy as a possible contender to become his next White House press secretary.
Trump made the remark Thursday while speaking with reporters outside the White House as speculation continues over who will permanently replace former press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
A reporter asked Trump what qualities he was looking for in the next person to take over the high-profile position.
“A lot of people want that job,” Trump responded. “I would say many of them are right here.”
Trump then looked toward members of the press corps and joked with one reporter about taking the position.
“You’d like that job,” the president said.
After a brief pause, Trump singled out Doocy as another possibility.
“Maybe a guy like Peter,” Trump said.
The president, however, immediately identified what he jokingly suggested could prevent him from recruiting the Fox News correspondent.
“But he’s making too much. He’s gone,” Trump said. “I lost him as soon as he renegotiated his last contract.”
Doocy currently serves as Fox News’ senior White House correspondent and co-anchors “The Sunday Briefing.”
Trump’s comments appeared lighthearted, and there was no indication that Doocy has formally been offered the press secretary position.
Still, the president personally mentioning the longtime Fox News reporter adds another recognizable name to the ongoing speculation surrounding the vacant job.
The White House has been searching for a permanent replacement since Leavitt stepped down from the administration at the end of August.
Leavitt said she decided to leave the demanding role to spend additional time with her family after welcoming her second child earlier in the year.
Trump praised Leavitt while announcing her departure, describing her as one of his most trusted aides.
“Our wonderful White House Press Secretary, and one of my most trusted aides, Karoline Leavitt, will be departing her role at the end of the month so she can spend more time with her beautiful young children and family, a decision I totally understand and respect!” Trump said.
The president also announced that Leavitt would remain involved with him outside the administration.
“Karoline will now be one of my top outside advisors, and an influential voice within the Republican Party,” Trump said.
Leavitt described serving as press secretary as “the honor and adventure of a lifetime.”
She later offered a more detailed explanation for the decision, saying the responsibilities of raising two young children while holding one of the most demanding communications positions in Washington had become increasingly difficult to balance.
“Being a mother and welcoming a new baby while working in one of the most demanding jobs in the world has been the most rewarding yet challenging season of my life, to say the least,” Leavitt said.
She explained that after returning to the White House following the birth of her daughter, she increasingly felt she could not devote the necessary attention to both her family and her position.
“The truth is, since returning to the White House after the birth of my daughter, I have felt in my heart that I cannot be the best mom my two young children deserve while devoting the constant time, energy, and attention required of the White House Press Secretary,” she said.
Leavitt ultimately described her departure as a “bittersweet decision” and said she was beginning a new chapter in her life.
She became the youngest White House press secretary in history when she assumed the position and became one of the administration’s most visible public representatives, per Trending Politics.
Several potential replacements have since been mentioned.
Conservative commentator Scott Jennings and deputy press secretary Anna Kelly are among the names that have circulated, though the White House has not announced a permanent successor.
Trump has now personally thrown Doocy’s name into the discussion.
The Fox News correspondent has been a familiar presence in the White House briefing room for years and regularly questions Trump administration officials.
Whether Trump was seriously considering him or simply joking with the assembled reporters was not clear from his remarks.
The president’s reference to Doocy’s Fox News contract also suggested he was aware that persuading the correspondent to leave his current position could prove difficult.
For now, there is no indication that Doocy is preparing to leave Fox News or that formal discussions about the White House job have taken place.
But with Trump still weighing his options, the president’s public mention of Doocy ensures the Fox News star is now part of the conversation surrounding who could next stand behind the White House podium.
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