Trump brings Dana White to White House briefing, delighting supporters and rattling the press corps
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President Donald Trump invited UFC chief executive Dana White to a surprise appearance in the White House press briefing room, prompting a reporter scramble as the presidential seal had not yet been placed on the podium.
President Donald Trump caused a sudden rush in the White House press briefing room on Nov. 9 when UFC chief executive Dana White arrived without prior notice, leaving staff unable to place the presidential seal on the podium.
The appearance followed Trump's Nov. 7 announcement that he had offered White the White House press secretary position, a suggestion he described as a tease on Nov. 8.
"Everyone please take a seat in the briefing room right now," a press assistant instructed reporters over the loudspeaker.
Reporters and technicians hurried to set up microphones and cables, and the usual seal was absent from the podium. Trump told White that he could become press secretary "if he would only take the job," adding a lighthearted joke that White might "beat the hell out of you" after speaking briefly.
White, who organized a series of UFC bouts on the White House grounds in June, said he has no political ambitions and declined the offer.
During the briefing, Trump also discussed topics such as Iran, Ukraine, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, before returning to White with a question about a forthcoming UFC fight at Madison Square Garden featuring two top women fighters.
"How would I do against one of them? Would I do well?" Trump asked White.
"I don’t think so," White replied.
The incident highlighted the president’s ongoing effort to find a permanent press secretary after the departure of Karoline Leavitt in August and the brief tenure of Katie Zacharia, who was dismissed in October.