The search for a new White House press secretary under former President Donald Trump is proving to be a complex challenge, marked by high expectations and a need for specific qualifications, according to J Hogan Gidley, a former Trump campaign press secretary and deputy press secretary under Trump.
Gidley, who has significant experience working with Trump, described the former president's demanding criteria for the role, which include not only media acumen but also a deep personal trust and an ability to reflect Trump's communication style. "He wants a press person he trusts by his side in these meetings all the time… He wants you there to make sure you can articulate it to the press," Gidley stated, recalling Trump's emphasis on having a trusted aide present during important discussions.
Outgoing press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who served for 20 months before departing to care for her young children, is seen by Gidley as having excelled in translating Trump's often direct language into terms understandable to the broader press corps. "When you spend time around the principal, in this case, the President of the United States, you pick up his mannerisms, you pick up his cadence, you pick up his thought process, the words he likes to use," Gidley explained. He added that Leavitt was "surgical in the way she took down the press," effectively deploying arguments that mirrored conversations with Trump.
Trust is a paramount qualification in Trump's inner circle. Gidley noted that Trump "has to trust you to let you into very significant meetings, to have off-the-cuff conversations, to confide things that may never see the light of day." Building credibility with Trump, he said, comes from providing counsel that proves useful.
Beyond substance, Gidley suggested that Trump also values a certain aesthetic. "Aesthetics matter to him," Gidley said, emphasizing that the press secretary needs to be "camera savvy" and present a poised, sharp image while maintaining tenacity and a willingness to fight back.
Gidley described the ideal candidate as a "fighter," a "workhorse," and "extremely talented." The individual must be able to "get along with the president," understand the "gravity of the position," and prioritize the role over personal media appearances. Gidley speculated that Trump might prefer a woman in the role, possibly due to a perception that men are more likely to be "scheming for their own positions."
Given the stringent requirements, Gidley indicated that finding a perfect match might be difficult. He outlined three potential paths for Trump: holding a competitive selection process, settling for a candidate who meets most, but not all, criteria, or leaving the position open, a tactic Trump has employed previously. Gidley mentioned that Trump once instructed then-Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders to cease briefings due to dissatisfaction with how reporters treated her.
Trump's satisfaction with Leavitt's performance—likened to a star athlete's consistent success—suggests a high bar for any successor. Gidley concluded that Trump may find it difficult to find someone who can replicate Leavitt's effectiveness and secure his complete trust, potentially leaving him disappointed if he seeks a permanent replacement.