President Trump said Saturday he has offered the job of White House press secretary to Dana White, the president and chief executive of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.1,4,7
Trump announced the offer in a Truth Social post as the press secretary position sat vacant, a gap that followed recent turnover in the job and came days after Democrats took control of the House and the Senate in the midterm elections.1,7
"I am pleased to announce that the Great Dana White, a violent Fighter and Warrior, has been offered the job of Press Secretary of the United States," Trump wrote. He added, "Dana will be a Press Secretary like none other. Dana, please take the job!"1,7
Trump said White should bring assistants with him. "I have requested that he bring with him assistants, even though some are not from our Country, of Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes, and Kayla Harris," he said. "We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left."1,7
It was unclear at the time of publication whether White had accepted the position. White shared an image of himself at the White House press briefing room podium to his Instagram story with the caption, "On to the next chapter." DW reported that White then reposted Trump's full Truth Social post offering him the job.1,7
DW, citing CNN citing a source familiar with the matter, reported that White turned down the offer. CBS News separately noted that reporting from at least one media outlet suggested the post may have been made tongue-in-cheek. CBS News said it had reached out to the White House and UFC for additional comment.1,7
White addressed the post during a news conference in London for a boxing event he was promoting. Asked about Trump's social media post, White said with a smile and a chuckle. "I'm flying to Washington, D.C., right now," White said. "... I'm going to meet with him, we have a meeting on Monday. So I'm sure I'll have more to talk about after that."1
The press secretary role has been vacant since Oct. 16, when conservative commentator Katie Zacharia was removed from the job after five days, according to CBS News. Zacharia had been Trump's choice after Karoline Leavitt stepped aside in August, saying she wanted to spend more time with her young family. DW described the position as empty since October.1,7
White, 57, has been president of the UFC since 2001 and its chief executive since 2023, according to DW. CBS News described the UFC as a global league valued at more than $15 billion and described White as a longtime supporter of Trump who attended his inauguration. In an interview with "60 Minutes" last September, White said that when he and Trump get together for dinner, they "don't talk politics."1,7
White added in that interview, "We talk about... goofy guy stuff that all guys talk about. You know what I mean?" He continued, "... We talk about 'Rocky' movies. We talk about different fights that have happened." The White House also hosted a UFC event on the South Lawn to mark the nation's 250th anniversary, an event that coincided with Trump's 80th birthday. CBS News placed that event in July, while a DW photo caption dated the "UFC Freedom 250" event to June 14 and labeled the image from June 2026.1,7
White said he was flying to Washington, D.C., right now and expected to meet with Trump on Monday, after which he would have more to talk about.1
