Trump says he offered Dana White the White House press secretary job
Trump publicly invited the UFC chief to take the vacant role, but a report citing a source familiar with the matter says White declined.
By Dev Ramirez · Crypto Correspondent
· 2 min read
President Donald Trump said he offered UFC CEO Dana White the White House press secretary job, but there was no official appointment or confirmation from either side. For readers searching for the Trump Dana White press secretary story, the key distinction is that Trump announced an offer on Nov. 7, while ESPN reported later that CNN, citing a source familiar with the matter, said White was not taking the role.
Trump made the announcement in a post on Truth Social, calling on White to accept. The White House and the UFC did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to Reuters and ESPN.
White shared Trump’s post on Instagram along with an image of himself at the White House briefing-room podium and the words “On to the next chapter,” ESPN reported. That post did not establish that he had accepted the position.
Did Dana White accept Trump’s press secretary offer?
Initial reports said it was unclear whether White had accepted. ESPN subsequently reported that CNN was told by a source familiar with the matter that he would not take the job. Neither the White House nor the UFC had publicly confirmed that reported decision at the time of the reports.
A White House press secretary is the administration’s main spokesperson, handling briefings with reporters and communicating the president’s positions. The role has been open since Katie Zacharia’s tenure ended in October after less than a week, Reuters reported. Zacharia had replaced Karoline Leavitt, who left the position at the end of August.
In his Truth Social post, Trump also said he wanted White to bring UFC figures as assistants. Reuters reported that Trump named Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes and “Kayla Harris.” Reuters said the last name was likely a reference to fighter Kayla Harrison.
White runs the Ultimate Fighting Championship, whose parent company is TKO Group Holdings. Reuters reported that White and TKO did not immediately respond to comment requests. The report does not establish any corporate change at the UFC or TKO.
Trump and White have worked together for years. Reuters reported that Trump’s Taj Mahal casino hosted UFC events in the early 2000s, and that White publicly backed Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Trump has since attended several UFC events, according to NBC News.
The public offer therefore remains separate from a completed personnel decision: Trump said he wanted White for the job, while the only report of a refusal came through a source familiar with the matter rather than an official statement.
This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.
