Four of the seven front row news organizations in the White House briefing room have been looking to hire President Joe Biden’s press secretary Jen Psaki.
According to Puck News, the Biden administration’s spokesperson has been “feverishly courted by” the likes of CNN, MSNBC, ABC News, and CBS News for a potential hosting gig ahead of her reported exit from her White House role later this year. CNN has been particularly interested in Psaki in hopes that she could revitalize their broken brand in the wake of Jeff Zucker’s exit.
“Psaki intends to leave the White House at some point this year and, according to sources familiar with her thinking, intends to go into television news—not as a contributor, but as a host,” reported the outlet.
“Her lunch meetings with the CNN and MSNBC executives, which also included her agent Jay Sures, were the opening salvo in what is likely to be a long effort by several networks to court the woman who could potentially become the next big star in television news,” it added.
Sources close to ABC News and CBS News also confirmed that Psaki is being eyed for a potential hosting gig, the kind that made former President Bill Clinton lackey George Stephanopoulos on the likes of Good Morning America. Several industry professionals also see Psaki as a potential replacement for MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow.
“The discussions with CNN and MSNBC are in early stages, which means that the contours of Psaki’s television career are still taking shape. But sources familiar with these early conversations say there could be a natural progression from Psaki’s role in the briefing room to her job as cable news host,” Puck noted.
As the Washington Free Beacon noted, the four outlets courting Psaki all occupy the majority of front seats in the White House briefing room alongside Fox News, Reuters, and the Associated Press.