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U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that he was “only kidding” when he publicly offered UFC President and CEO Dana White the White House press secretary job a day earlier, while confirming the two would still meet Monday.
Speaking to reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida, Trump walked back the offer he had made Saturday on Truth Social.
“I was only kidding, but Dana loves the idea,” Trump said.
Trump said the inclusion of UFC fighters as potential assistants should have made clear that the announcement was a joke.
“Of course I was kidding, and you could see that because I put all of the great fighters as his assistants,” he said, referring to some of them as being “from parts unknown.”
Trump had urged White to accept the job in his Saturday post, calling his longtime friend and political supporter a “violent Fighter and Warrior” and writing, “Dana, please take the job!”
White, 57, was in London for a boxing event when the offer was announced. He told reporters that he would “have more to talk about” after meeting Trump on Monday but did not explicitly say whether he was considering the position.
White also shared Trump’s announcement on Instagram alongside an image of himself standing behind the White House press briefing room podium.
Trump confirmed Sunday that their Monday meeting remained scheduled and said they would discuss other matters.
White has supported Trump for years, appearing at several Republican National Conventions and joining him on stage during his 2024 reelection victory speech.
The two have also attended UFC events together, including a June event on the White House South Lawn marking the U.S. 250th anniversary and Trump’s 80th birthday.
The White House press secretary position has remained vacant since Katie Zacharia left the role on Oct. 16 after less than a week, following Karoline Leavitt’s departure in August.
The exchange comes amid a broader administration shake-up after Republicans lost control of both chambers of Congress in Tuesday’s midterm elections.
Trump announced Friday that Stephen Miller would replace Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff.
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