Alina Habba publicly shut down speculation Wednesday that she's next in line for White House press secretary, exposing another round of media-fabricated palace intrigue that had zero basis in reality—while ordinary Americans wait on actual news that affects their lives.
The drama started when prediction market platform Kalshi listed Habba as the betting favorite to succeed Karoline Leavitt, who announced last week she'll step down at the end of August to focus on her two young children. Bettors gave Habba a 35% chance—sometimes reported as 38%—of landing the job, according to multiple outlets tracking the odds. The speculation appears to have been built entirely on anonymous sourcing and gambling markets, not any White House signal.
Habba ended it with one post on X: "Flattered by the Kalshi odds, but I'm not in the running for any job. However, if I'm getting a new one, I'd love for one of these anonymous sources to let me know first. Fake news remains the undefeated champ…well…until I come at them."
That should have been the end of it. Instead, the press simply pivoted to the next name on the board. CNN commentator Scott Jennings, who reportedly was considered for press secretary before Leavitt got the job, now sits at 28-30% on Kalshi. White House principal deputy press secretary Anna Kelly trails at 13-14%. Breitbart noted that its editor-in-chief Alex Marlow said the White House "would be incredibly lucky" to have Jennings, though he acknowledged Jennings would have to be "pretty ambitious" to take it.
The real story isn't who sits at the podium next—it's that the media keeps inventing succession drama instead of covering what the administration is actually doing. Leavitt's departure is straightforward: she gave birth to her daughter in May, returned from maternity leave, and concluded she couldn't be the mother her children deserve while holding one of the most demanding jobs in Washington. "I have felt in my heart that I cannot be the best mom my two young children deserve while devoting the constant time, energy, and attention required of the White House Press Secretary," Leavitt said, according to Breitbart. President Trump said she'll remain a top outside adviser and that no replacement has been named.
Habba's current role—senior adviser to the attorney general for U.S. attorneys—keeps her in the administration. She previously served as Trump's personal attorney and high-profile campaign surrogate before a brief stint as counselor to the president and a contested turn as acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey, which ended after a federal appeals court upheld a ruling that her appointment was unlawful.
The press keeps chasing whisper campaigns and betting lines instead of asking hard questions about policy, spending, and accountability. Habba called it what it is. The question is whether anyone in the press corps will take the hint.
