Trump Offers Dana White the White House Press Secretary Job; White to Meet Him Monday

President Donald Trump said Saturday he has offered the job of White House press secretary to Dana White, the chief executive of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and White said he plans to meet with the president on Monday.

Trump announced the offer in a post on Truth Social, writing: “I am pleased to announce that the Great Dana White, a violent Fighter and Warrior, has been offered the job of Press Secretary of the United States.” He added, “Dana, please take the job!”

White, speaking to reporters in London after a boxing match on Saturday, said he was flying to Washington. “I’m flying to Washington, DC, right now,” he said, according to USA Today. He said he would meet with Trump on Monday but declined to get into specifics. “I’m sure I’ll have more to talk about after that,” he said.

A source familiar with the matter told CNN that White has declined the offer. One aide told CNN that Trump was joking about the offer. The White House did not respond to requests for comment from USA Today, and neither the White House nor the UFC has commented on the record, according to The Times.

The fighters Trump named as assistants

Trump also said he had asked White to bring six current and former mixed martial arts fighters with him as assistants: Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harrison. Trump wrote that some of them are not from the United States, and said, “We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left.”

White posted a photo of himself at the White House podium on his Instagram story, captioned “On to the next chapter,” according to USA Today. White House communications director Steven Cheung reposted Trump’s message, adding, “Hell yeah! Do it, @DanaWhite!”

A job that has been hard to fill

The press secretary job has been open since Katie Zacharia left in October after five days in the role, the shortest tenure in the job’s history, according to CNN. Karoline Leavitt left the post in August after about a year and a half, saying she wanted to spend more time with her family. Leavitt joined Fox News as a contributor this month.

White is a longtime friend of Trump and has spoken at the last three Republican National Conventions. He introduced Trump at the 2024 convention, calling him a man who “truly cares about people.” Trump hosted a UFC fight on the White House lawn this summer as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations.

The offer came a day after Trump named Stephen Miller, his deputy chief of staff, as White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles. Miller takes over the role on Monday. Trump told CBS News on Friday, “I’ll be doing maybe a few changes.”

Reporting based on coverage by USA Today and CNN.