The Dana White press secretary offer has moved from a social media surprise to a scheduled conversation. President Donald Trump floated the UFC CEO for the White House role on Saturday, and White confirmed the same day that he will travel to Washington, D.C., to meet with the president on Monday.
White did not elaborate on what the meeting will cover. Speaking after Zuffa Boxing 12 in London, he noted that he already holds several positions and suggested the two men would have matters to discuss afterward.
How the offer surfaced
Trump announced the offer on social media, praising White in colorful terms and naming several current and former UFC athletes he said he would like to see serve as assistants. The president acknowledged that some of those fighters are not from the United States.
White, 57, responded initially with an AI-generated meme posted to his Instagram stories. The carried a caption suggesting he was moving toward a new chapter, feeding speculation without confirming anything.
A long friendship with Trump
The two men have known each other for more than two decades. Trump hosted White’s first event as UFC president at his Trump Taj Mahal casino in 2001, the same year White joined the promotion after his Zuffa business partners purchased it. In 2018, during Trump’s first term, the president hosted White and UFC champion Colby Covington at the White House. Trump later became a regular attendee at UFC events while serving as president.
White has also spoken in support of Trump at the Republican National Convention ahead of each of the last three election cycles, from 2016 through 2024. In June, Trump hosted the UFC Freedom 250 event on the South Lawn of the White House, a first for the sport.
Beyond the UFC, White is the public face of two other combat sports brands under the TKO Group Holdings umbrella: Zuffa Boxing and Power Slap.
What the press secretary job would mean
If White were appointed, he would take over a position that has seen recent turnover. Katie Zacharia was dismissed in October after five days in the role. Karoline Leavitt, who held the job before Zacharia, stepped down in August to focus on her family.
White has not said whether he intends to accept the offer. His comment that he already has “a lot of jobs” left the impression that a formal move to the White House press office is not a given. The Monday meeting with Trump is expected to clarify the next step, though White offered no timeline or details.
What to watch
The meeting itself is the only confirmed development since the offer. White’s travel to Washington and his sit-down with the president will be the first real signal of whether the Dana White press secretary offer becomes something more than a headline. For now, the UFC executive is keeping his plans close, and the White House has not commented publicly on the arrangement.
