President Donald Trump has offered the role of White House press secretary to Dana White, the CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, in a post on Truth Social on Saturday.
Trump described White as "the Great Dana White, a violent Fighter and Warrior" and urged him to accept the position, writing: "Dana will be a Press Secretary like none other. Dana, please take the job!"
White, who was in London on Saturday for a boxing event, confirmed at a news conference that he planned to fly to Washington and meet with Trump at the White House on Monday.
When asked how he would balance the role with his existing positions in combat sports, White appeared caught off guard by the question and replied: "Yeah, I got a lot of jobs already." He declined to detail any prior conversations with Trump, saying only: "I'm sure I'll have more to talk about after that."
Before the news conference, White shared Trump's post on Instagram alongside a photo of himself standing at the podium in the White House press briefing room, captioned with the words: "On to the next chapter."
The White House and a UFC spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment on Saturday.
In his Truth Social post, Trump also requested that White bring several UFC fighters as "assistants," listing six current and former title holders: Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov from Russia's Dagestan region; Americans Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, and Kayla Harrison; and Amanda Nunes, a Brazilian who became a US citizen last year. "We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left," Trump wrote.
The press secretary position has been vacant since Katie Zacharia's tenure ended last month after just five days. Zacharia had succeeded Karoline Leavitt, who stepped down from the role at the end of August.
The offer comes during a turbulent period for the Trump administration following significant Republican losses in Tuesday's midterm elections. Democrats made historic gains, including in areas Republicans had held for decades, and the GOP lost control of both chambers of Congress.
On Friday, Trump announced he was replacing longtime adviser Susie Wiles as chief of staff with aide Stephen Miller, known as the architect of the administration's hard-line immigration policies.
Trump and White have a long-standing friendship. They first worked together in the early 2000s and grew closer after White publicly backed Trump's presidential campaign in 2016. Trump has attended several UFC events in recent years.
In June, the White House hosted a night of UFC fights on the South Lawn as part of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of American independence and Trump's 80th birthday. A wire-mesh Octagon was constructed near the executive mansion beneath a large metal arch fitted with lights, sound equipment, and screens. "It was an amazing experience, this was a one-of-one," White said afterward.
White also spoke at the Republican National Conventions in 2016, 2020, and 2024.
The White House communications office already has a former UFC spokesperson among its staff. Director of Communications Steven Cheung worked for the UFC from 2013 to 2016. Following Trump's post, Cheung wrote on social media: "Hell yeah! Do it, @DanaWhite! It'll just be like old times!"
