Dana White White House press secretary — President Donald Trump has publicly floated UFC chief executive Dana White for the vacant role of White House press secretary, writing on Truth Social that White would be unlike any previous occupant of the job and urging him to accept. The post, published on Saturday afternoon, came as Trump faced the aftermath of Republican losses in the midterm elections, which cost the party its congressional majorities.
Whether the president intended the offer seriously was not immediately clear. White, speaking in London after a fight card, said he was traveling to Washington for a Monday meeting with Trump, adding that he already holds a number of demanding positions. CNN, citing a source familiar with the matter, reported that White had declined the idea.
A vacancy open since mid-October
The press secretary position has been unfilled since Katie Zacharia resigned in mid-October, less than five days after starting. Trump’s message on Saturday described White as a fierce competitor and suggested he bring several prominent UFC fighters with him, including some who are not American citizens. The president framed the group as needed to defend against political opponents, and the post included photographs of six fighters.
White responded on Instagram with a of himself standing behind the lectern in the White House press briefing room, writing that he was moving on to a new chapter. It was unclear whether the post was serious or in jest. White House communications director Steven Cheung shared the president’s message on X and voiced support for the idea.
Longstanding ties between Trump and White
Trump and White have been friends for years. White has spoken at Republican National Conventions on Trump’s behalf in 2016, 2020 and 2024, and he appeared on stage during Trump’s victory speech after the 2024 presidential election. This summer, the UFC staged a cage match on the White House lawn.
White has credited Trump with helping rescue the UFC in its early years. When White and his business partners bought the struggling organization for $2 million in 2001, the sport faced widespread resistance. Five years earlier, Republican Senator John McCain had described mixed martial arts as human cockfighting, and 36 states had banned it. White said in 2025 that venues were reluctant to host the UFC because they did not believe in it and were concerned about the crowd it would attract. He has said Trump helped by hosting two UFC events at the Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 2001.
Other commitments and a combative record
White already carries a heavy workload. He leads the UFC and Power Slap, a regulated slap-fighting promotion, and has recently launched Zuffa Boxing, a professional promotion company. Last year he was named one of three new board members at Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
White has also had a combative relationship with journalists covering his sport. In 2020 he released a clip criticizing reporters who questioned the UFC’s decision to stage fights during the pandemic. In 2009 he issued an expletive-filled video using an anti-gay slur while responding to a journalist’s story about changes to backstage credential rules at UFC events.
White was ringside in London on Saturday night for a fight between British former world champion Chris Billam-Smith and Jamaican-born Briton Cheavon Clarke at the Copper Box Arena. Asked about the president’s offer afterward, he told reporters he had a lot of jobs already and expected there would be something to discuss following Monday’s meeting, without saying whether the press secretary role interested him.
