Zacharia had to go. Here’s who should be next

If you we’re looking for the definition of a train wreck in real time, look no further than what transpired with Katie Zacharia this week as President Donald Trump’s new White House press secretary.I’ve often said that the toughest job in Washington is to be a White House press secretary, especially for a Republican president — and especially for Trump. The press, of course, will be predictably hostile. The goal often isn’t to speak truth to power or even to get to the truth, but instead engage in some sort of confrontation that goes viral and earns a pat on the back from left-wing outlets.Trump’s previous press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, exceeded all expectations during the first 19 months of Trump’s second term. She was meticulously prepared, always stayed on the offensive, and did so with confidence and conviction. Leavitt’s performance, however, was basically the opposite of what we witnessed during Zacharia’s first and only press briefing on Tuesday. She was unprepared, unsteady, and overwhelmed. She took just three questions for 14 minutes. And the reviews, even from conservative outlets, were brutal.When asked by Fox News’s Sean Hannity on Thursday night how she felt the first briefing went, Zacharia offered little but excuses.“I was asked to start on Monday, which was Columbus Day, a federal holiday, and was asked to have a press briefing on Tuesday morning,” she said. “What I feel is I really stepped up to the plate to do the briefing with very little prep time. I received briefing materials in the morning Tuesday and went to deliver all of the great results that President Trump is delivering for the American people that is not often spread in the national media.”But what ultimately ended Zacharia’s career as a press secretary was her claim that she was a lawyer. And yes, she did graduate from Pepperdine law school, but failed her one attempt to pass the California bar. And that’s fine … a good chunk of first-time takers of the bar exam fail, including Kamala Harris, Michelle Obama, and Hillary Clinton.For whatever reason, Zacharia repeatedly referred to herself as a lawyer in TV appearances in what was likely an attempt to prop herself up as a credible expert on segments regarding legal matters and proceedings. That alone, after the misrepresentation was revealed this week in a very public way, served as grounds for immediate dismissal. But the president was gracious in allowing Zacharia an easy out instead.Scott Jennings, a national political analyst and consultant, addresses state business leaders at the Mississippi Economic Council’s annual “Hobnob Mississippi” in Jackson, Miss., Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) “I said to Katie just two minutes ago, I said, Katie, you know, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want,” Trump told reporters on Friday before boarding Marine One. “She said, this is a lot tougher. I said, welcome to the world of Trump.”This statement from Trump was basically a firing. Of course, Zacharia wasn’t going to opt to stay. And why would she? She has four young children at home and the questions moving forward would be more about her than policy. So the obvious question is this: Who will be the next White House press secretary? Secretary of State Marco Rubio is always an interim possibility since he seemingly handles half the jobs in the administration already. But as far as a permanent position to finish out Trump’s time in the Oval, only one name comes to mind:Scott Jennings.If you watch CNN on a nightly basis, it’s clear Jennings has been unintentionally groomed for this position. He was a reporter and news anchor in his home state of Kentucky before joining George W. Bush’s administration as deputy director of political affairs. He also worked as a senior strategist for Bush and Mitt Romney’s presidential campaigns.During the Trump 2.0 era, Jennings has often gone viral with his quick wit and effective debating style. He’s been so effective, in fact, that former CNN so-called journalist Jim Acosta has called for him to be fired for the audacity of making an effective conservative argument on the air. “He’s been getting away with this crap for so long. I mean, they should just hand him his boxes today and tell him to get the hell out,” argued Acosta, whose latest podcast episode attracted less than 35,000 views.“I don’t know who he is,” Don Lemon once hilariously said of Jennings. “He says much more offensive s*** on CNN than I ever have,” Lemon added, “and then they fired me.”Nope. No jealously there whatsoever.Regardless of who the White House decides to make the next press secretary, they should certainly take their time. In the end, Trump has always been his most effective spokesman.IS RUBIO RUNNING WITHOUT RUNNING?His next press secretary should be somebody ready for the job. It should be somebody who wants the position and understands the perils of having a target on his or her back.Because anything less will be another embarrassment like the one we saw this week.