Trump Offers UFC Boss Dana White the White House Press Secretary Job
President Donald Trump has offered the job of White House press secretary to Dana White, the chief executive of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, in a move that stunned Washington even by the standards of an unconventional presidency.
Mr Trump announced the offer in a post on Truth Social on Saturday, written from his golf club in Florida. “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,” he wrote.
“Dana will be a Press Secretary like none other. Dana, please take the job!”
The president also asked Mr White to bring six mixed martial arts fighters with him as assistants, naming Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harris — apparently a misspelling of UFC fighter Kayla Harrison. “We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left,” Mr Trump wrote. He did not explain what duties the fighters would perform.
White keeps his counsel — for now
Mr White, who was in London on Saturday for a boxing event, was asked about the offer at a post-fight news conference. He did not confirm or deny that he would take the job, but said he planned to fly to Washington and meet Mr Trump on Monday.
“We have a meeting on Monday, so I’m sure I’ll have more to talk about after that,” he said, adding: “Yeah, I got a lot of jobs already.”
The Associated Press reported that neither the White House nor the UFC responded on Saturday to requests for comment on the post.
Mr White appeared to tease the idea on social media, posting a picture of himself standing at the White House briefing room lectern with the caption “On to the next chapter”. He also shared a screenshot of Mr Trump’s announcement.
Reports say White has already declined
Within hours, however, CNN reported, citing a source familiar with the matter, that Mr White had declined the offer. CNN also reported that one aide said the president had been joking about the offer. Mr White himself has not publicly confirmed or denied a decision, and no formal appointment has been announced.
White House communications director Steven Cheung amplified Mr Trump’s post on Saturday, writing: “Hell yeah! Do it, @DanaWhite!”
Whether the offer was serious, a joke or something in between, it underlines how long the administration has gone without a chief spokesperson. The press secretary’s job has been vacant since 16 October, when Katie Zacharia left the role after just five days. Her predecessor, Karoline Leavitt, departed at the end of August after the birth of her second child.
A shake-up at the top of the White House
The offer came a day after Mr Trump named Stephen Miller as his new chief of staff, effective Monday, in the biggest reshuffle of his senior team since the midterm elections. Mr Miller, the architect of the administration’s immigration crackdown, replaces Susie Wiles, the first woman to hold the chief of staff job.
Mr Trump and Mr White are longtime friends. The UFC staged an event on the White House South Lawn in June, and Mr White has been one of the president’s most visible allies in the sports world, speaking at campaign events and appearing alongside him at fights.
The press secretary is the president’s chief spokesperson, fielding questions from reporters at public briefings and shaping the administration’s message. The job does not require Senate confirmation, so a yes from Mr White would have been enough for him to start.
For now, the search goes on. Mr White is due in Washington on Monday — and, by his own account, he will have more to say then.
