“I will tell you, I was only kidding,” Donald Trump told reporters Sunday, walking back his own social media offer of the White House press secretary job to Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White. rte.ie reported that Trump made the offer in a Saturday post on Truth Social, urging White to take the role and naming six UFC fighters as assistants.
In that post, Trump described White as “a violent Fighter and Warrior” and wrote, “Dana, please take the job!” He called him “a Press Secretary like none other,” adding, “We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left,” according to BBC and CNN.
The named assistants included Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes and “Kayla Harris,” likely a reference to Kayla Harrison, rte.ie reported.
Dana White on being offered the role of press secretary by President Trump: "I'm flying to Washington, DC right now… I've got a lot of jobs already. We have a meeting on Monday, so I'm sure we'll have more to talk about after that"
Trump Calls the Post a Joke
Speaking Sunday on his way back to the White House from his Florida beach club, Trump said the premise was that reporters “wouldn’t mess around with him so much” if White took the briefing room flanked by fighters, The Guardian reported.
“Of course I was kidding, and you could see that because I put all the great fighters as his assistants,” Trump said. “It was just a little fun.” He added that White “loves the idea” and “is a very capable guy,” and said some people told him the suggestion was “actually a pretty good idea,” The Guardian reported.
Press Secretary Seat Empty Since October
The White House has had no press secretary since 16 October, when Katie Zacharia left after less than a week in the role, rte.ie reported.
Accounts of her departure differ: rte.ie reported she was “let go” after scrutiny over her credentials, The Guardian reported she was forced to resign after failing to dodge questions about describing herself as an attorney despite failing the bar exam, and CNN reported Trump fired her after one rocky briefing, making hers the shortest stint in history.
The vacancy stretches back further. Karoline Leavitt, who served about a year and a half, left in August to spend time with her family and joined Fox News as a contributor this month, CNN reported.
White Deflects Offer Ahead of Monday Meeting
White deflected when asked about the offer at a news conference Saturday, saying only, “I’m going to meet with him, we have a meeting on Monday,” BBC reported. He also posted “On to the next chapter,” though BBC noted it was unclear if that was tongue-in-cheek. A source familiar with the matter told CNN that White declined the unorthodox idea.
"President Donald Trump said Saturday that he offered the White House press secretary job to Dana White, but a source familiar with the matter says the Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO declined the unorthodox idea." https://t.co/LKLzV8cc2A
White House communications director Steven Cheung reposted Trump’s message on X, adding, “Hell yeah! Do it, @DanaWhite!” CNN reported. Trump said the Monday meeting at the White House was planned for reasons other than the press secretary role, rte.ie reported.
Two Decades of Trump-White Ties
White and his partners bought the struggling UFC for $2 million in 2001, when Senator John McCain had labeled the sport “human cockfighting” and 36 states had banned it, BBC reported. White has credited Trump with saving the organization by hosting two UFC events at the Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City in 2001, and “none of the venues wanted” the UFC at the time, he said in 2025, according to BBC.
White spoke at the Republican national conventions in 2016, 2020 and 2024 and appeared on stage for Trump’s 2024 victory speech, BBC reported. In June, the UFC staged a cage match on the White House South Lawn for Trump’s 80th birthday, rte.ie reported.
The Saturday post came after Republicans lost their congressional majorities in the midterm elections, with Democrats winning control of both chambers and pledging to investigate the administration, BBC and CNN reported. Trump has also signaled more staffing changes: on Friday he ousted chief of staff Susie Wiles and replaced her with Stephen Miller, who takes over Monday, CNN reported.
Hell yeah! Do it, @DanaWhite! It’ll just be like old times! https://t.co/7nX9QulAyK
Questions Readers Ask
No. Trump said Sunday he was “only kidding,” and a source familiar with the matter told CNN that White declined the offer. White and Trump are scheduled to meet at the White House on Monday for other reasons.
No one. The role has been vacant since 16 October, when Katie Zacharia left after less than a week, and Trump has not named a successor.
UFC’s Dana White says he will meet with Trump on Monday after the president said he offered him the job of White House press secretaryhttps://t.co/AxcXkCBj7S
CNN reported the vacancy has grown more important because Democrats now control Congress and have pledged investigations.
White has described Trump in the strongest terms, telling an audience before the midterms that he is “the toughest, most resilient human being I have ever met in my life,” a formulation he used repeatedly during the 2024 campaign, The Guardian reported.
Earlier coverage: Trump Says He Offered White House Press Secretary Job to UFC CEO Dana White
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