Trump stages surprise briefing with UFC chief Dana White, floats press secretary job
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President Trump turned an unscheduled White House press briefing into a spectacle, bringing UFC CEO Dana White into the press room, joking about handing him the press secretary job, and using the moment to riff on politics, media, and a pardon for Pete Rose.
President Trump convened an unannounced press briefing on Monday, turning the White House press room into yet another stage for his improvisational political theater by bringing UFC chief Dana White in front of the cameras. Trump said White had been floated as a possible press secretary and remarked, "One thing about him, he doesn’t play games, because I’ve known him a long time."
White, who has organized a UFC event on the White House lawn, stepped to the podium and made clear that he has no political ambitions. He also answered a question from Lindell TV correspondent Cara Castronuova about a hypothetical Octagon match with former President Joe Biden, calling such a scenario "very bad" for Biden.
Asked about a possible pardon for the late baseball player Pete Rose, White said, "I think it’s fair to pardon Pete Rose," and Trump quickly agreed, saying Rose had been "mistreated."
Trump said he had mentioned White for the press secretary position after a difficult day with the press, explaining, "I sent it to a group of the press, and that was it. I was sort of kidding, and then they wrote the stories as though I wasn’t kidding."
At the end of the briefing, Trump asked White directly whether he would take the role of press secretary of the United States of America. White declined, saying he does not want to be in politics, and Trump responded that he was "devastated to hear this" before ending the session.