Trump Offers White House Press Secretary Role to UFC Chief Dana White
The president named six fighters as potential assistants in a Truth Social post, while White posted an image of himself at the briefing podium.
By Aiko Nakamura ·
President Donald Trump stated on Saturday that he has offered the position of White House press secretary to Dana White, the president and chief executive officer of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. In a post on Truth Social, Trump described White as a “violent Fighter and Warrior” and expressed his desire for White to accept the role immediately.
The president specified that he requested White bring several assistants to the job. The list included UFC fighters Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes, and Kayla Harris. Trump noted that some of these individuals are not from the United States and said the group was needed to defend against the “Lunatic Left.”
White responded to the announcement by sharing an image of himself standing at the White House press briefing room podium on his Instagram story. The photo was captioned, “On to the next chapter.” Shortly after, White posted a screenshot of the president’s Truth Social message to the same platform. An account named Rapid Response 47, which is affiliated with the White House, also shared the post on X.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request to confirm whether the offer is formal or if White has accepted. It remains unclear if the position has been officially filled. The administration has been searching for a permanent press secretary since Karoline Leavitt departed the post earlier in the year.
Trump previously appointed political commentator Katie Zacharia to the role. She was dismissed after less than a week and a single press briefing. Reports indicated that Zacharia had marketed herself as an attorney despite not passing the bar exam. White’s potential appointment would mark another non-traditional selection for the president.
The two men have maintained a close relationship in recent years. Over the summer, the UFC hosted a fight on the White House South Lawn as part of celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary. Andrew Schleimer, the CEO of UFC’s parent company, stated that the organization lost $30 million on that event. The fight was broadcast exclusively on Paramount+ and attended by high-profile figures, including Paramount CEO David Ellison and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
