Alina Habba is making it pretty clear that if President Trump wants her behind the White House briefing room podium, she is not going to need much convincing.
The former personal attorney to President Trump said Monday that she would “absolutely” be open to becoming the next White House press secretary following Karoline Leavitt’s resignation.
Habba made the comment during an appearance on Benny Johnson’s show, directly addressing speculation that she could be tapped for one of the most visible jobs in Washington.
Asked whether she would take the position if President Trump offered it, Habba answered in the affirmative.
“Absolutely,” she said.
That answer is notable because Habba had previously tried to pour cold water on reports that she was actively in the running.
Earlier this month, amid mounting speculation that President Trump was considering her as a replacement for Leavitt, Habba publicly dismissed reports that she was being lined up for a new White House role.
“However, if I’m getting a new one, I’d love for one of these anonymous sources to let me know first,” Habba wrote on social media on Aug. 19. “Fake news remains the undefeated champ … well … until I come at them.”
That sounds less like somebody lobbying for the job and more like somebody annoyed that Washington rumor mills had already updated her résumé without bothering to ask her.
But there is a difference between saying you are not currently being considered and saying you would reject the job if it were offered.
Habba has now answered the second question.
The White House has not publicly announced who will replace Leavitt, and President Trump has remained quiet about his preferred choice. Naturally, that silence has created an entire cottage industry of speculation, prediction markets and anonymous-source guessing.
At one point, Habba was considered a leading possibility. Kalshi traders reportedly gave her a 39 percent chance of becoming the next press secretary before her Aug. 19 comments appeared to knock down the rumors.
Since then, the field has shifted.
CNN conservative commentator Scott Jennings emerged as a favorite for a period, while Leavitt’s principal deputy press secretary, Anna Kelly, has also drawn significant attention.
Other names floated include White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, political adviser Katie Miller and communications adviser Margo Martin.
As of Monday afternoon, prediction-market bettors had Kelly leading the field at 27 percent, while Habba had fallen to just 6 percent.
Of course, prediction markets do not hire White House press secretaries. President Trump does.
And if familiarity, loyalty and willingness to confront hostile media are qualifications, Habba certainly has experience that would make her an interesting option.
She spent years publicly defending President Trump through some of his most contentious legal battles and became a familiar face on television in the process. Habba has also shown that she is comfortable dealing with aggressive interviews, combative reporters and the kind of media scrutiny that comes with defending President Trump.
The White House briefing room is a different arena, though. The job requires not only fighting back against unfavorable coverage, but also communicating administration policy accurately, handling rapidly developing stories and answering detailed questions across virtually every area of government.
Still, Habba’s latest remarks remove any doubt about whether she would be interested.
She may not be campaigning for the job, but if President Trump makes the call, her answer appears ready.
“Absolutely.”
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