Donald Trump has offered UFC chief executive Dana White the job of White House press secretary, turning to one of his closest allies outside politics as his administration searches for a new public voice.
The president made the announcement on Truth Social on Saturday, 7 November 2026, inviting White to take a position that has remained vacant since mid-October. He also suggested that six current and former UFC fighters could join the White House press operation as assistants. It was an unusual proposal, even by the standards of a president who has long blurred the boundaries between politics, celebrity and sport.
But the central question remains unsettled. White has not publicly accepted the position. Speaking to reporters at a boxing event in London later on Saturday, he said he planned to meet Trump at the White House on Monday, 9 November. Separately, CNN reported, citing a source familiar with the matter, that White had declined the idea.
What Trump actually said
In his Truth Social statement, Trump described White as a “violent Fighter and Warrior” and said he would be a press secretary unlike any other. He ended the message with a direct appeal: “Dana, please take the job!”
The president went further, naming Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harrison as prospective assistants. Trump referred to Harrison as “Kayla Harris” in the post. There is no evidence that any of the fighters has been formally approached for a White House role, and their inclusion may have been part of the joke.
A White House press secretary is responsible for communicating the administration’s positions, answering reporters’ questions and briefing the public. It is not a security or fighting role, whatever the imagery in Trump’s message might suggest.
What Dana White has said
White was in London for a Zuffa Boxing event when reporters asked about the offer. He confirmed plans to travel to Washington and meet Trump on Monday, but did not say he had agreed to become press secretary. Asked how he might balance the job with his sporting commitments, he replied: “Yeah, I got a lot of jobs already.”
White also shared Trump’s message on Instagram and an image showing himself at the White House briefing podium, captioned “On to the next chapter.” That social media post is not proof of an appointment. Associated Press reporting recorded his planned meeting, while a CNN report attributed a rejection to an unnamed person familiar with the matter. CNN also quoted a White House aide who said Trump was joking. Neither account amounts to a formal announcement from White himself.
Why the timing matters
The public offer comes at a difficult moment for the White House. Republicans lost control of both chambers of Congress in the 3 November midterm elections. Trump has also announced that Stephen Miller will replace Susie Wiles as chief of staff on 9 November, a change Fish 4 News reported separately.
The press secretary’s position has been unfilled since Katie Zacharia left in October after just five days in the job. She had replaced Karoline Leavitt, who departed at the end of August. Those changes make the vacancy genuine, regardless of whether the president intended his approach to White as a serious job offer, a public joke or some mixture of the two.
White and Trump have known each other for more than two decades. Trump’s casinos hosted UFC events in its earlier years, White publicly supported his presidential campaigns and the two appeared together during a UFC event at the White House in June 2026. White House communications director Steven Cheung previously worked for UFC, another sign of the connections between the two organisations.
Is Dana White becoming press secretary?
Not on the evidence available so far. Trump has publicly said he wants White to take the job, and White has confirmed that they expect to meet. However, there has been no verified acceptance or formal White House appointment. CNN’s separately sourced report that White declined adds to the uncertainty rather than resolving what the president intended.
Monday’s meeting may clarify the situation. Until then, the accurate description is that Trump has made a public offer, not that Dana White is the new White House press secretary.
Video: BBC News on Trump’s offer
Watch the BBC News report on YouTube if the embedded video does not appear.
