US President Donald Trump on Saturday offered Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO Dana White the position of White House press secretary, but the 57-year-old declined the proposal, according to a CNN report citing a source familiar with the matter.
Trump, on Truth Social, described White as a “violent fighter and warrior” and asked him to take up the position. “We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left,” Trump wrote, adding that White would be a press secretary “like none other”.
The US president also suggested that White bring along six current and former UFC fighters as assistants, sharing their photographs in the post. Among those named were Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes.
White turned down the offer, a source familiar with the matter told CNN. A White House aide also suggested that Trump was joking about the proposal.
However, Dana White later told reporters he would travel to Washington, DC, on Monday to meet with Trump.
White House press secretary position remains vacant
The White House press secretary position fell vacant after Karoline Leavitt left the administration in August. Leavitt, who held the post for around 18 months, said she wanted to spend more time with her young family. She has since joined Fox News as a contributor.
Her replacement, Katie Zacharia, lasted less than a week in the position. Her exit came after a difficult first press briefing, making her tenure the shortest in the history of the role.
The search for a new press secretary comes at a challenging time for the Trump administration, with Democrats having secured majorities in both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections and promising investigations into the administration.
Dana White says he will meet Trump on Monday
White was in London for a boxing event when he was asked about Trump’s social media announcement at a news conference on Saturday. He said he planned to fly to Washington and meet the president on Monday, as per news agency AP.
“I’m sure I’ll have more to talk about after that,” White said. Asked how he would balance the potential White House position with his existing responsibilities in the fighting industry, White said, “Yeah, I got a lot of jobs already.”
Before the news conference, the UFC chief also shared Trump’s post on Instagram, alongside an image of himself standing behind the podium in the White House press briefing room. The image carried the words “On to the next chapter”.
White, who also runs Zuffa Boxing with Saudi Arabian backers, has spoken about his ambitions to expand the organisation and stage more boxing events internationally.
White House communications director Steven Cheung also appeared to endorse Trump’s proposal, reposting the president’s message with the caption: “Hell yeah! Do it, @DanaWhite!”
Trump’s close ties with UFC boss Dana White
White has been one of Trump’s prominent allies for years, with their association dating back to the early 2000s, when Trump’s Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City hosted UFC events.
Their relationship grew closer after White publicly backed Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016. He has since spoken at the Republican National Conventions in 2016, 2020 and 2024.
Trump has also regularly attended UFC events with White since returning to the White House in January 2025.
In June, the president hosted a UFC event on the White House South Lawn as part of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of American independence and his 80th birthday. A wire-mesh Octagon was constructed near the executive mansion for the event.
“It was an amazing experience, this was a one-of-one,” White said after the event.
Trump has previously credited White with helping him reach younger audiences, particularly young male voters, during his 2024 presidential campaign.
On Friday, Trump announced that longtime adviser Susie Wiles would be replaced as White House chief of staff by senior aide Stephen Miller. Miller, one of the president’s closest and most loyal allies, is known for shaping the administration’s hard-line immigration policies.
He is expected to take over the position on Monday, AP reported.
