Jennings, 48, has extensive experience in Republican politics. He worked on two presidential campaigns for George W. Bush and later served as an adviser to then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. He now works as a senior political commentator and contributor for CNN.
His response to Collins immediately caught attention.
“I don’t really have anything to say about it other than… I would get to see you everyday,” Jennings replied. “I would think you’d be happy about this.”
Collins quickly reminded Jennings that the two already see each other regularly.
“I already see you every day,” Collins pointed out.
Jennings pushed back, joking that their current schedule was not quite as frequent as Collins suggested.
The two political commentators currently cross paths only “one or two days a week,” Jennings said.
“Can you imagine, every single day, getting to go to work where I am?” Jennings said before adding, “This should be an amazing thing for you.”
Collins immediately recognized what Jennings had left unsaid.
“That’s not a no,” Collins replied.
The exchange added fuel to speculation that Jennings could be under consideration for the White House position. While neither Jennings nor the White House confirmed that he is a candidate, his playful response certainly did not close the door.
The chatter had already begun the previous evening during CNN’s “NewsNight.” Former Democratic South Carolina state Rep. Bakari Sellers openly suggested that Democrats would be concerned if Jennings landed the job.
“Let me help, Scott,” Sellers told the panel. “Democrats are afraid of Scott Jennings becoming press secretary. There you go. Now you’ve got the job.”
Jennings initially responded with a simple “No” when panelists asked whether he would become Leavitt’s successor.
But he soon offered a more cautious answer.
“I don’t know,” he later said. “But I’ll tell you this: Karoline Leavitt has been maybe the greatest White House press secretary in the last 30 years, at least. She’s been nothing short of brilliant.”
That praise comes as Leavitt prepares to leave one of the most visible and demanding communications positions in Washington.
President Donald Trump announced her upcoming departure in an Aug. 12 Truth Social post, explaining that the young press secretary wanted to devote more time to her family.
“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!” the 80-year-old president said.
Leavitt, 28, subsequently addressed the decision publicly on X. She described her tenure in the administration as an extraordinary experience and expressed gratitude for the opportunity.
Leavitt said the arrival of her daughter, Viviana, in May ultimately played a major role in her decision to step away from the White House post.
Her departure creates one of the most closely watched openings inside the Trump administration. The press secretary stands at the center of the White House’s daily battle with the media, regularly facing hostile questioning, defending administration policies and delivering the president’s message to the public.
Jennings would bring a distinctly different background to the role. His years inside Republican politics, combined with his current experience debating Democrats and other commentators on national television, have made him one of the more recognizable conservative voices at CNN.
For now, however, the question remains unanswered.
Jennings has not confirmed that he has been offered the job, and the White House has not publicly named a replacement for Leavitt. Still, his decision not to firmly shut down the speculation has ensured that his name remains firmly in the conversation.
And judging by his exchange with Collins, Jennings seems perfectly comfortable letting the rumors continue.
