President Donald Trump said during an interview in Florida on Friday that he would consider rap artist Nicki Minaj or conservative media personality Benny Johnson as his next White House press secretary. Asked by Johnson, a right-wing political commentator and YouTuber, whether Minaj should become press secretary, Trump replied: “That’s a good idea. I’m going to think about that.” The president then turned to Johnson and said: “How about you?
You’d be pretty good, too.” Trump’s lighthearted tone left unanswered whether either person is under serious consideration, and raises questions about who the most likely contenders for the role are. The exchange returns attention to a position that has lacked a permanent occupant for 60 of the past 65 days. Before Katie Zacharia, a conservative commentator and former communications adviser for Trump Media, took office, the White House went 45 days without a press secretary following Karoline Leavitt’s Aug. 27 departure.
Zacharia then lasted five days, leaving the post vacant for a further 15. Trump had announced Zacharia on Oct. 9 as a “loyal and brilliant supporter,” but her tenure ended after one 14-minute briefing, during which she delivered eight minutes of prepared remarks and took questions from three reporters. Scrutiny subsequently focused on her legal credentials before the president said he had encouraged her to reconsider the role.
Whoever secures the position will become the administration’s most visible spokesperson, responsible for defending the president’s agenda and answering questions during fast-moving domestic and international events. Newsweek contacted the White House and every prospective candidate profiled in this article for comment on Saturday. Speculation surrounding Minaj had already grown after White House communications director Steven Cheung posted a video from Air Force One and wrote: “Ladies and gentlemen, I think we may have found the new White House Press Secretary!” Minaj shared the post with an American flag and a laughing emoji.
That exchange gave the idea social media momentum. The contest itself, however, is more likely to turn on loyalty, familiarity with the president, and the ability to manage the daily demands of the White House press corps. Kalshi and Polymarket allow users to trade contracts tied to future events, producing prices that can be read as market-implied probabilities rather than verified forecasts.
Anna Kelly, the White House principal deputy press secretary, led both platforms at 19 percent at the time of writing. CNN political commentator and former George W. Bush adviser Scott Jennings followed at 6 percent on Polymarket and 9 percent on Kalshi.
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