US President Donald Trump has clarified that he was joking when he announced that Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO Dana White had been offered the position of White House press secretary.
Trump made the clarification on November 8, a day after announcing the supposed appointment on his Truth Social platform.
The president said White was interested in the idea but insisted that the offer was not serious.
White “loves the idea” of becoming press secretary, Trump said, before adding that he “was kidding” about the job offer.
In his November 7 post, Trump had written that he was “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.”
The announcement was accompanied by photographs of Ultimate Fighting Championship athletes.
The post came on the same day White told reporters in London that he would be travelling to Washington, DC, to meet Trump on November 9.
“I’m sure I’ll have more to talk about after that,” the UFC chief said, without disclosing further details about the planned meeting.
White also appeared to acknowledge Trump’s announcement by sharing a photograph of himself standing behind the White House press briefing podium on his Instagram Story.
He captioned the image, “On to the next chapter,” and included a screenshot of the president’s post.
However, less than an hour after Trump’s announcement, White’s X account returned to promoting upcoming UFC fights.
The position of White House press secretary has remained vacant since Katie Zacharia left the job after just five days in October.
Her departure followed Karoline Leavitt’s announcement in August that she was stepping down after more than 18 months in the role to spend more time with her family. The announcement came weeks after she welcomed her second child.
White has maintained a close friendship with Trump for years and has frequently hosted the president at UFC events.
He also welcomed Trump to the organisation’s Freedom 250 event on the White House lawn in June, which coincided with the president’s birthday. The event was among the administration’s major initiatives to mark the United States’ 250th anniversary.
The UFC boss has also publicly supported Trump at major political gatherings, speaking at the 2016 and 2024 Republican National Conventions.
At the 2024 convention, White introduced Trump and described him as a friend of 25 years, as well as “a man that truly cares about people.”
