Trump offers White House press secretary job to UFC chief Dana White

Donald Trump announced he offered the White House press secretary position to Dana White, president of the UFC, drawing widespread attention. The move — accompanied by a request that White bring along prominent fighters as staff — has sparked debate over whether Trump is signaling a hardline posture after midterm election losses or simply making a joke.

On Saturday (local time), Trump took to his Truth Social account to describe White as a "vicious fighter and warrior," writing: "I am pleased to announce that the great Dana White has been offered the position of White House Press Secretary."

Trump said he also asked White to bring in a roster of well-known fighters as aides, naming Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harrison.

Acknowledging that some of the fighters are not American, Trump argued, "We need these people to protect us from the radical left."

He added, "Dana will be a spokesperson like no other," and pleaded, "Dana, please take this job."

White declined the offer, however. CNN cited sources familiar with the matter in reporting that White had decided not to take the press secretary role.

White is a longtime ally of Trump's. The two have maintained a close relationship, with White regularly appearing alongside Trump at UFC events.

Trump's affinity for the UFC runs deep. White played a central role in organizing a UFC event Trump sought to hold at the White House on June 14 — Trump's 80th birthday — to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence.

The White House press secretary position is currently vacant. It opened after Katie Zacharia, appointed to succeed former press secretary Karoline Leavitt following Leavitt's resignation, was dismissed just four days into the job amid controversy over false credentials and questions about her qualifications.

Trump's remarks are drawing additional scrutiny because they came immediately after he appointed hardline loyalist Stephen Miller as White House chief of staff on Saturday.

Miller has been a driving force behind some of the Trump administration's most aggressive policies, including large-scale deportations of undocumented immigrants and tighter border controls. Trump's choice of Miller to succeed Susie Wiles has been widely interpreted as a signal that the administration has no intention of softening its policy direction despite the Republican Party's midterm losses.

Against that backdrop, Trump's public flouting of a UFC chief as a press secretary candidate — paired with combative language directed at the Democratic Party — is being read as a further message that he intends to maintain an aggressive stance toward the opposition.

Trump also directed the Justice Department to investigate the Democratic Party that day, claiming that "the threats being made by Democrats against innocent Republican donors and members are not only unprecedented but are completely illegal."

Whether the offer to White reflected a genuine personnel decision remains unclear, however.

The New York Times wrote that "it was not clear whether Mr. Trump's sudden offer to Mr. White was a joke or a serious proposal intended to project defiance after the midterm defeat."

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and the UFC also declined to issue an official statement.