Trump wants a male press secretary: Ben Ferguson and Scott Jennings in the running

EXCLUSIVE: President Donald Trump is set to hire a new press secretary, and members of the administration are making the case for someone who will break the mold.

“His name has been brought up in front of the president by many people,” a source close to the president told Fox News Digital on Tuesday, referring to conservative commentator Ben Ferguson.

“(Trump) has an instinct to pick a man,” the source said. “A lot of people told him it was a good idea.”

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The source said Trump intends to choose someone to fill the vacancy soon and that he enjoys the role of press secretary within the administration.

A second person familiar with the matter confirmed that Trump plans to choose a man as his next press secretary and said Ferguson is a favorite.

UFC CEO Dana White listens as President Donald Trump speaks in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, DC, November 9, 2026. (Returners)

The last seven press secretaries, covering Trump’s second term, former President Joe Biden’s single term and Trump’s first term, have all been women. Sean Spicer was the last man to hold this role. He served as Trump’s first press secretary from January 2017 to June of that year. He was replaced by Sarah Huckabee Sanders, now governor of Arkansas.

Ferguson is a conservative commentator who hosts the nationally syndicated radio show, “The Ben Ferguson Show.” He is also a political commentator on CNN.

But Trump continues to weigh his options.

“POTUS is not sold on this idea,” the source said of Ferguson. “I think it’s safe to say that (Ferguson) is continuing this work, and the president is aware of that.”

Scott Jennings, the conservative CNN contributor who frequently appears on “Newsnight with Abby Phillip” and who worked in former President George W. Bush’s administration, is also in the running for the job.

“The president keeps going back and forth about Scott Jennings,” the source said. “I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

A few other names were proposed but did not emerge as obvious choices for the position. That includes White House communications director Steven Cheung, Breitbart chief Matthew Boyle, and Ari Fleischer, who was White House press secretary during President George W. Bush’s first term.

Many women were also on the shortlist, but both sources who spoke with Fox News Digital insist the next person to take the job will likely be a man.

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Ferguson has the support of the Trump administration, Fox News Digital has learned.

“Ben is one of President Trump’s strongest supporters in the 21st century,” a senior White House official told Fox News Digital. “While many fans lack the courage to accept fake news, Ben consistently steps into the lion’s den and confronts media bias head-on.”

The official said Ferguson was making the rounds of some people currently paid to defend Trump.

Television host Ben Ferguson appears at the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland on February 20, 2025. (Jason C. Andrew/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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“His resume and experience are exactly what the administration will need in the face of a Congress determined to dismantle our efforts to make America great again,” the official continued.

Another Trump administration official echoed the sentiment, saying, “Ben has always been a knowledgeable and talented commentator.”

“The radical left yell at him every day as they defend the president in front of a hostile audience,” the official said, adding that the hostility they face on cable news is not unlike what they would face behind the podium in the White House press room.

“The president needs a tireless and talented communicator on the podium who will relay his success for the nation and show how he will be a bulwark against Democrats’ attempts to dismantle our Republic,” the official said.

Conservative commentator Scott Jennings speaks at the Ashley’s BBQ Bash fundraiser hosted by U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, August 23, 2025, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

The White House has been without a press secretary since October 13, when Katie Zacharia left her post at Trump’s request after just a week.

Zacharia’s brief tenure was marked by controversy over her claims to be a lawyer and a disastrous news conference that lasted just 14 minutes and was widely condemned as a train wreck.

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She was chosen to replace Karoline Leavitt at the podium after the former press secretary was a global powerhouse for Trump throughout the 2024 campaign and into his first year and a half back in office.

Leavitt resigned from her position in August after returning from maternity leave, citing a desire to spend more time with her growing family.