Inside the White House's struggle to find a new communications director

“There are very few out there that would want to, honestly, serve in this White House,” one source said.

That source noted the White House team is considering candidates that are “big names in the PR and communications world” but who are “not big names in politics.”

One such name, according to another person familiar with the situation, is Scott Reed, a well-known GOP operative who previously served as executive director of the Republican National Committee and who managed Bob Dole’s 1996 presidential campaign. Reed did not immediately respond to a request for comment.