President Donald Trump offered the White House press secretary position to Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White on Saturday, November 7, describing him as "a violent Fighter and Warrior" in a Truth Social post. Trump suggested White bring several UFC fighters as assistants, naming Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes, and Kayla Harrison, stating "We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left."
White, 57, confirmed he would travel to Washington to meet Trump on Monday but did not immediately accept or reject the offer. Speaking at a boxing event in London on Saturday, White said he had "a lot of jobs already" and would discuss the matter after meeting with the president.
On Sunday, November 8, Trump clarified that his offer was a joke. "I was only kidding, but Dana loves the idea," Trump told reporters at his Florida airport before departing for Washington. "Of course, I was kidding. And you could see that because I put all of the great fighters as his assistants." Trump described the proposal as "just a little fun."
CNN reported that White had declined the offer, though White himself did not publicly confirm rejection. White later told TMZ he has "less than zero political aspirations" and "no political aspirations" whatsoever.
The White House press secretary position has been vacant since October 16, when Katie Zacharia departed after less than a week in the role. Trump's unconventional proposal came as he reshuffled his administration following Republican losses in the November 3 midterm elections that gave Democrats control of Congress.
Social media users speculated whether Trump may have confused Dana White, the UFC executive, with Dana W. White, a former Pentagon official who previously served as Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs. However, Trump's detailed description of White as a fighter and his specific naming of UFC fighters as assistants indicated he was referring to the UFC chief.