Trump Offers White House Press Secretary Role to UFC Chief Executive Dana White
“Dana will be a Press Secretary like none other. Dana, please take the job!” US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social, publicly offering the position of White House press secretary to Ultimate Fighting Championship chief executive Dana White.
The unusual recruitment pitch, which also named several current and former MMA fighters requested to serve as “assistants” to defend against the “Lunatic Left,” sets the stage for a meeting between the two long-time allies in Washington on Monday. Speaking to reporters in London following a Zuffa Boxing event, White confirmed the upcoming summit, stating, “I have a meeting on Monday. I’m flying to DC right now and I’m sure we’ll have something to talk about after that.”
The communications office has experienced high turnover since Karoline Leavitt held the role from January 2025 to August 2026. Her successor, Katie Zacharia, departed the post after just five days in October.
Trump Offers UFC Chief Press Secretary Role, Seeks Criminal Probe Of Democrats Facing an incoming Democratic Congress, US President Donald Trump struck a combative tone Saturday, offering friend and “violent fighter” Dana White the White House press secretary job and ordering…
A Partnership Forged Across Decades and Decisive Political Shifts
The relationship between Trump and the top mixed martial arts executive extends far beyond recent political cycles. The pair first collaborated in the early 2000s when Trump’s Taj Mahal casino hosted UFC events, a foundation that grew into prominent convention appearances where White spoke at the Republican National Conventions in 2016, 2020, and 2024.
That alliance found physical expression on the grounds of the executive mansion in June, when the administration hosted the UFC Freedom 250 event on the South Lawn to mark the nation’s 250-year anniversary, coinciding with Trump’s 80th birthday. While federal lawsuits challenging the use of public property for a private sporting event were filed, a federal judge knocked back the lawsuit. The spectacle highlighted the deep ties between the executive branch and the sports promoter.
CNN reports Dana White has declined an offer to become presidential press secretary.https://t.co/XFRqkUv4e3
Trump’s latest proposal explicitly urged White to bring along notable athletic figures, specifically naming Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, and Amanda Nunes. Following the online announcement, White shared an AI-generated image on Instagram depicting himself standing behind the podium in the White House briefing room with the caption, “On to the next chapter,” while White House communications director Steven Cheung reposted the message with the endorsement, “Hell yeah! Do it, @DanaWhite!”
Chief of Staff Steps Down Amid Political Realignment
The public overture arrives as the administration reels from losses in the midterm elections, which resulted in the party losing control of both the House and the Senate. The political realignment has triggered rapid personnel adjustments inside the West Wing.
On Friday, the administration announced that Chief of Staff Susie Wiles would step down from her post, making her the seventh woman to leave the administration this year. Longtime immigration policy architect Stephen Miller was named to replace her, signaling a pivot toward a harder-edged operational strategy.
Whether White’s impending Monday meeting will result in a formal acceptance remains an open question. When initially asked about the offer, White laughed and remarked, “I got a lot of jobs already,” before reiterating his plans to travel directly to the capital to discuss the matter face-to-face with the president.
"President Donald Trump said Saturday that he offered the White House press secretary job to Dana White, but a source familiar with the matter says the Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO declined the unorthodox idea." https://t.co/LKLzV8cc2A
More on Dana White
UFC’s Dana White says he will meet with Trump on Monday after the president said he offered him the job of White House press secretaryhttps://t.co/AxcXkCBj7S
UFC President and CEO Dana White commented today on U. S. President Donald J. Trump offering him the role of White House Press Secretary, saying that he was “flying to Washington right now,” and that he is set to meet with President Trump Monday. Following earlier reports from… pic.twitter.com/GBGIf6Ht4I
UFC President and CEO Dana White has declined President Donald J. Trump’s offer to become White House Press Secretary, a source familiar with the matter tells CNN. pic.twitter.com/ublrU316Uj
