Former ESPN personality Sage Steele denies Trump press secretary rumors
Sage Steele, the veteran sportscaster best known for her decade-plus career at ESPN, has shot down swirling rumors she wants to be press secretary in the new Trump administration, labeling the murmurings as "fake news."
President-elect Donald Trump has been quickly filling his incoming Cabinet since he stormed to election victory last week, but he has yet to name someone to be his top public spokesperson at the White House.
Axios reported Wednesday that Steele along with CNN contributor and Bush White House official Scott Jennings, as well as Republican National Committee spokesperson Elizabeth Pipko are all "vying" for the much-coveted role. Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt and former Trump administration official Monica Crowley are also "in the mix," according to Axios.
SAGE STEELE IS OFF THE SIDELINES AND SPEAKING HER MIND
Trump attorney Alina Habba said Thursday that she is not considering the role of press secretary.
Steele, 51, has been a public supporter of the president-elect and stumped for him on the campaign trail, appearing at an event in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, last month.
However, she took to X on Thursday to deny she was interested in the press secretary role.
"Not sure how these rumors began about me ‘vying’ to be Press Secretary, but it’s definitely fake news! I haven’t had a single conversation with anyone about that job, and have no desire to do so!" Steele wrote.
"Honestly, it was the honor of a lifetime to be a small part of @TeamTrump during the campaign – something I NEVER imagined – but I wholeheartedly believe in @realDonaldTrump @JDVance & am excited to find ways to continue to serve. It took me years to not be afraid to speak up. That fear is gone forever, and I hope others are beginning to feel the same. LFG!"
In 2023, Steele left ESPN after 15 years at the network where she hosted its flagship program "SportsCenter as well as "NBA Countdown," among other roles.
In April 2022, Steele filed a lawsuit against ESPN alleging the network violated her free speech rights after she was punished in 2021 for speaking out against parent company Disney's COVID vaccine mandate and knocked former President Barack Obama for identifying as Black instead of biracial.
They settled the lawsuit, and she left the network last August.
"Having successfully settled my case with ESPN/Disney, I have decided to leave so I can exercise my first amendment rights more freely," Steele wrote last August. "I am grateful for so many wonderful experiences over the past 16 years and am excited for my next chapter!"
In March, Steele was named the first podcast host on Bill Maher's Club Random Studios podcast network.
Karoline Leavitt appears to be the leading name for press secretary after she worked as the Trump campaign’s national press secretary throughout the high-stakes election cycle.
Alina Habba, Trump’s legal spokesperson and adviser, was also viewed as a frontrunner for the position but said Thursday she would "be better served in other capacities."
Other names being floated include Trump adviser and ally Jason Miller, campaign spokesperson and adviser Steven Cheung and former Trump administration official Monica Crowley.
Fox News’ Joseph A. Wulfsohn and Emma Colton contributed to this report.