Donald Trump’s proposal to UFC boss Dana White to become White House press secretary was a joke, a U.S. administration official quoted by The Washington Post said. White later said he would meet with the president at the White House on Monday, November 9, leaving it unclear whether this was merely a tease or a genuine discussion about the position.
Trump made the offer in a post on Truth Social. He called White “a great fighter and warrior” and said he had offered him the position of the administration’s chief spokesperson. The president added that he expected several UFC fighters to join White as “assistants” in order to “defend” the administration from the left.
Among the names mentioned by Trump were Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung publicly endorsed the idea with a brief message: “Yes, do it, Dana White!”
White was in London for a boxing event when journalists asked him about the offer. He said he would fly to Washington and speak with Trump on Monday. Asked how he would combine a potential White House job with his current commitments in combat sports, White replied: “Yes, I already have a lot of jobs.” He later added: “I’m sure we’ll have more to discuss after that.”
The White House Still Has No Permanent Press Secretary
The position has been vacant since the brief tenure of Katie Zacharia, who left the post after five days. She had succeeded Karoline Leavitt, who departed at the end of August. Neither the White House nor the UFC has officially confirmed that White accepted the offer or that an appointment process has begun.
The offer came against the backdrop of a severe political blow to Trump and the Republican Party. Democrats won the midterm elections, and Republicans lost control of both chambers of Congress. After the vote, the president replaced his longtime adviser Susie Wiles with Stephen Miller as White House chief of staff.
Dana White is a close ally of Trump. He spoke at Republican Party conventions in 2016, 2020 and 2024, and in June he took part in the UFC event organized on the lawn in front of the White House to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States. Following Trump’s post, White shared a photo from behind the lectern in the briefing room with the caption “On to the next chapter,” but did not say that he was accepting the position.
The final answer as to whether the offer was a joke, a political move or a real plan is expected after the meeting between Trump and White. Until then, there is no official appointment of a new White House press secretary.
Sources: washingtonpost.com, apnews.com