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President Donald Trump said Saturday he has offered the job of White House press secretary to Dana White, the president and CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. White has not said whether he accepts, though he hinted at a new role on social media shortly after the announcement.
Trump made the announcement in a post on Truth Social, calling White “a violent Fighter and Warrior” and saying he had been “offered the job of Press Secretary of the United States.” The president added that he had asked White to bring assistants with him, and he named six fighters: Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harris. Trump acknowledged that “some are not from our Country.”
Trump framed the proposal as a matter of defense, writing that “we need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left.” He said White would be “a Press Secretary like none other” and ended the post with a direct appeal: “Dana, please take the job!”
The press secretary is the president’s chief spokesperson, who typically briefs reporters from the podium in the White House briefing room.
It remains unclear whether White has accepted. Shortly after Trump’s announcement, the UFC chief posted an image to his Instagram story showing himself at the podium of the White House press briefing room. The caption read “On to the next chapter.” He followed it with a second story post, a screenshot of the president’s statement.
Rapid Response 47, an account affiliated with the White House, also shared a screenshot of Trump’s post on X.
Trump and White have had a close relationship in recent years. This summer, the UFC hosted a fight on the White House South Lawn as part of the ongoing celebrations of America’s 250th anniversary. Andrew Schleimer, CEO of the UFC’s parent company, said it lost $30 million on the event.
The fight, broadcast exclusively on Paramount+, drew high-profile guests, including Paramount CEO David Ellison and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The attendance illustrated Trump’s cozy relationship with business leaders.
The White House has been looking for a permanent press secretary since Karoline Leavitt left earlier this year.
Trump briefly chose political commentator Katie Zacharia for the role, but she was dismissed after less than a week and a single short press briefing. Her departure followed reports that she had marketed herself as an attorney without having passed the bar exam.
White would be an unconventional pick, though many people in the president’s orbit did not come from political backgrounds before being nominated.
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