Former US President Donald Trump said he was joking when he posted on his Truth Social platform that he had offered UFC boss Dana White the position of White House press secretary. Trump posted on the social media network on Saturday evening that he had asked White to take on the role and bring several current and former mixed martial arts fighters as his aides.
Dana White confirmed he would meet with Trump on Monday, but did not reveal whether he would accept the offer for the press secretary position. When asked by reporters on Sunday, Trump stated that White would come to visit for other reasons, further confirming that the initial offer was more a joke than serious.
The White House press secretary position has been vacant since October, when Katie Zacharia resigned after less than five days in the role. Zacharia succeeded Karolina Leavitt, who was the youngest person to hold the post in US history and served during Trump's second term.
Trump's offer came after the Republican Party lost its majority in both houses of Congress in recent elections. In addition to running UFC and PowerSlap, Dana White recently founded the promotional company Zuffa Boxing and is a member of the board of directors of Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. White was a prominent speaker at the Republican National Conventions in 2016, 2020 and 2024, and appeared on stage during Trump's victory speech in the 2024 election.
During the summer, UFC organised a cage fight on the White House lawn, which further illustrates the close ties between the organisation and the Trump administration.
