The White House has interviewed at least one candidate for press secretary, putting Sean Spicer's job into question, The Washingtonian reported Friday.
Carl Higbie, a close associate of President Trump’s family and a former Navy SEAL, interviewed for the position Thursday.
The Washingtonian said it confirmed Higbie’s interview with two senior Trump administration officials, but he would not verify it himself during a Friday phone call with the outlet.
“I haven’t heard back from the administration yet,” added Higbie, who was spokesman for the pro-Trump Great America PAC during the 2016 presidential race. "I’m honored to be even considered for this.”
The White House did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment Friday, nor a request from the Washingtonian.
It is unclear how the interviews will affect Spicer, who has been playing the dual role of press secretary and communications director since aide Jason Miller left abruptly.
Higbie has sparked controversy in his frequent appearances on cable news, once citing Japanese internment camps during World War II as "precedent" for a Muslim registry. More recently he clashed with Meghan McCain, daughter of Sen. John McCainJohn McCainReport: WH interviewed candidate for press secretary 5 ways the US can recover lost ground in Afghanistan Trump outburst puts Gorsuch in a corner MORE — Trump has criticized the Arizona Republican for saying a recent raid in Yemen was "unsuccessful."
The Washingtonian said Higbie met Eric Trump in the green room of Fox News’s “The Kelly File” last year and has since become close with the president’s son.
CNN reported Tuesday that Trump regrets choosing Spicer for his White House’s press secretary and is disappointed with his performance so far.
“[Chief of staff Reince] Priebus vouched for Spicer and against Trump’s instincts,” a source told CNN. “[Trump] regrets it every day and blames Priebus.”
A senior administration official downplayed the source’s remarks to CNN, however, vowing Trump is behind Spicer “100 percent.”
Spicer’s first appearance in the briefing room saw him blast the media for its reporting on the size of Trump’s inauguration crowds.
Actress Melissa McCarthy spoofed Spicer during last weekend’s “Saturday Night Live,” portraying him as combative and insulting towards journalists.
McCarthy’s performance allegedly rattled Trump, who disliked having one of his administration’s most visible figures portrayed by a woman.