Danielle Alvarez Leads Betting on Trump’s Next Press Secretary

On November 9, Danielle Alvarez led Kalshi’s market on who will become the next White House press secretary, with roughly a 20 percent chance. Principal deputy press secretary Anna Kelly was next at 14 percent, followed by commentator Scott Jennings at 7 percent. Alvarez’s odds had been 3.5 percent on Saturday afternoon, according to one tally of the market.

Alvarez, a White House spokesperson and communications strategist, advised Trump’s 2024 campaign and served as the Republican National Committee’s communications director in the 2022 midterms. After the campaign, she joined Mercury Public Affairs and continued consulting for the Trump administration.

The speculation follows Trump’s weekend post saying he had offered the job to UFC chief executive Dana White and asking him to accept. On Sunday, Trump told reporters he had been kidding, though he added that White liked the idea. Someone with knowledge of the situation said White had turned down the offer. The post also prompted speculation that Trump might have meant Dana W. White, who previously served as the Pentagon’s chief spokesperson; she said people had mistaken her for the UFC executive.

Karoline Leavitt left the role in August, saying she wanted to spend more time with her family. Katie Zacharia took over in October but was dismissed after five days, following a debut briefing that drew criticism. Kelly and Jennings have both previously been passed over. Jennings has pursued the position, while Kelly has not publicly said whether she wants it.

Katie Miller has also been discussed as a possible candidate. She said Sunday she was stopping her podcast after her husband, Stephen Miller, was named Trump’s chief of staff, citing the demands of raising their four children. Trump has also said he would consider rapper Nicki Minaj for the press secretary role. A permanent replacement has not been selected.

Trump’s Press Office Still Lacks a Permanent Successor

The White House still has no permanent press secretary months after Karoline Leavitt left in August, and Trump’s weekend post naming UFC chief Dana White only added uncertainty. On November 9, Alvarez led Kalshi’s market at about 20 percent, ahead of Anna Kelly at 14 percent and Scott Jennings at 7 percent.

Trump later said he had been joking about offering White the job. An individual knowledgeable about the matter said White had turned it down. The episode also stirred confusion with Dana W. White, formerly a Pentagon spokesperson, who said people had mistaken her for the UFC executive.

Alvarez brings campaign and party communications experience: she advised Trump’s 2024 campaign and directed communications for the Republican National Committee in the 2022 midterms. But a prediction market is not a selection, and the White House has not named a permanent replacement. Katie Zacharia lasted only five days after taking the job in October, following a debut briefing that drew criticism.

The churn at the podium matters because the press secretary is the administration’s public voice. Yet Trump has not settled on a successor, while possible names range from Kelly and Jennings to Katie Miller and Nicki Minaj. Miller said Sunday she was ending her podcast after her husband, Stephen Miller, became chief of staff, citing the demands of raising their children. The next appointment remains pending.

Trump’s Press Secretary Search Draws Another Experienced Contender

Danielle Alvarez has emerged as the leading contender in Kalshi’s market for Trump’s next press secretary, with about a 20 percent chance on November 9. She is a White House spokesperson who advised Trump’s 2024 campaign and was the Republican National Committee’s communications director in the 2022 midterms. Anna Kelly stood at 14 percent and Scott Jennings at 7 percent.

The search has produced plenty of noise. Trump’s Saturday post offering the job to UFC chief Dana White was followed by his Sunday clarification that he was kidding. A person with knowledge of the situation said White had turned it down. The confusion even drew in Dana W. White, previously the Pentagon’s chief spokesperson, who said people had the wrong Dana.

Leavitt left in August to spend more time with her family. Zacharia’s brief October tenure ended after five days, after her debut briefing faced heavy criticism. Kelly and Jennings have both previously been passed over, and Jennings has made a case for the role. The market’s shift toward Alvarez suggests a fresh contender is gaining attention, but it does not amount to an appointment.

Other names have surfaced, including Katie Miller and Nicki Minaj. Miller said she was suspending her podcast after her husband, Stephen Miller, became chief of staff, explaining that raising their four children and the podcast’s time demands led her to step away. Trump has not selected a permanent replacement.