What began as a headline-grabbing weekend quip about staffing the White House has now been walked back: US President Donald Trump says he was “only kidding” when he floated Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) boss Dana White for the job of press secretary.
“I was only kidding, but Dana loves the idea,” Mr Trump told reporters on the tarmac of his namesake airport in Florida.
The press secretary role – traditionally one of the administration’s most visible positions – has been vacant since Katie Zacharia left on 16 October after less than a week on the job.
Katie Zacharia was ‘let go’ after facing scrutiny over her credentials
Mr White, the 57-year-old president and CEO of UFC, is a long-time friend of the president.
Speaking in London late Saturday, Mr White was reticent, saying that he would “have more to talk about” after meeting with Mr Trump today.
Mr White’s UFC staged a bloody cage fight on the White House South Lawn on Mr Trump’s 80th birthday in June, and he appeared on stage with Mr Trump during his re-election victory speech in 2024.
In a social media post on Saturday, Mr Trump implored Mr White to accept his offer, writing, “Dana, please take the job!” and calling him a “violent fighter and warrior”.
Donald Trump and Dana White at the ‘UFC Freedom 250’ event
He also suggested Mr White bring along several fighters as assistants, three of whom were not American.
Mr Trump said yesterday that the mention of fighters “from parts unknown” was intended to signal the post was not serious.
“Of course I was kidding, and you could see that because I put all of the great fighters as his assistants,” Mr Trump said.
Mr Trump also confirmed that a meeting with Mr White was still planned for today.
