Dana White rejects Trump’s pitch to turn the White House press office into another loyalty test
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President Trump floated UFC CEO Dana White for press secretary in a Truth Social post, but CNN reported that White declined the idea. White said he would still visit Washington on Monday, while the White House signaled the whole episode may have been a joke amid a vacant press office and mounting political pressure.
President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Saturday that he would like UFC chief Dana White to serve as White House press secretary, describing White as a “violent fighter and warrior” and saying the role would be “like none other.” The president also suggested White could bring six current or former UFC fighters as assistants, naming Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes.
A source familiar with the matter told CNN that White declined the offer, and a White House aide indicated the proposal may have been made in jest. Even so, White said he would travel to Washington, D.C., on Monday to meet with Trump, adding that he already has “a lot of jobs.”
The press secretary post has been vacant since Karoline Leavitt left in August; her successor Katie Zacharia resigned after less than a week. The administration is seeking a replacement while facing a Democratic majority in both chambers of Congress and continuing investigations.
White, who also runs Zuffa Boxing, has long been an ally of Trump, supporting the president’s campaigns and appearing at multiple Republican National Conventions. Their relationship dates back to UFC events held at Trump’s Atlantic City casino in the early 2000s. Trump recently hosted a UFC event on the White House South Lawn for the nation’s 250th anniversary and his 80th birthday.
White House communications director Steven Cheung reposted Trump’s invitation with the comment “Hell yeah! Do it, @DanaWhite!” while White shared the president’s post on Instagram with a caption reading “On to the next chapter.”