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Trump says he was ‘only kidding’ about offering White House press secretary job to UFC CEO Dana White
President Donald Trump said he was joking when he announced he had offered UFC CEO Dana White the White House press secretary position.
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US President Donald Trump has clarified that his announcement about offering Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO Dana White the position of White House press secretary was made in jest.
Speaking to reporters in Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday, Trump said he had not been serious about appointing White to the high-profile communications role, despite announcing the offer on his Truth Social platform a day earlier.
"You would have thought that people would have said, 'He's having a good time!'" Trump remarked, adding, "I will tell you, I was only kidding, but Dana loves the idea!"
The clarification came amid speculation over who would take charge of the White House press office, which has remained without a press secretary for several weeks. The vacancy followed the brief five-day tenure of Katie Zacharia last month.
When approached for further comment on Sunday evening, the White House referred reporters to Trump's remarks.
Trump announced White's appointment on Truth Social
Trump sparked widespread attention on Saturday after posting on Truth Social that he was "pleased to announce" that Dana White had been offered the position of White House press secretary.
In the post, the president also suggested that White bring several current and former mixed martial arts fighters on board as assistants.
"We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left," Trump wrote, directly urging the UFC chief executive to accept the supposed offer.
“Dana, please take the job!” he added.
The announcement came in the aftermath of a difficult midterm election for the Republican Party, which lost control of both chambers of Congress.
Dana White remains noncommittal about the offer
White addressed the reported job offer during a news conference on Saturday, indicating that his existing professional commitments could make such a move difficult.
"I have a lot of jobs already," the UFC chief executive said.
However, he left the door open for further discussion, referring to a planned meeting with Trump on Monday.
"I'm sure we'll have something to talk about after that," White said, without confirming whether he would consider taking the position.
Trump's subsequent clarification that the offer was a joke appears to have put an end to speculation about White's potential appointment.
White's longstanding relationship with Trump
Dana White has maintained a close relationship with Trump for several years and has publicly supported his presidential campaigns.
The UFC chief executive delivered speeches backing Trump at the Republican National Conventions in 2016, 2020 and 2024. He also joined Trump on stage during the President's victory celebration following the 2024 election.
Beyond his leadership of the UFC, White oversees PowerSlap, a regulated slap-fighting promotion, and has recently expanded his business interests with the launch of Zuffa Boxing.
He also serves on the board of Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
The relationship between the two has extended beyond politics, with the UFC organising a special cage-fighting event on the White House lawn this summer, further highlighting White's ties to the President.
