US President Donald Trump has publicly offered Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Chief Executive Dana White the position of White House Press Secretary, describing him as someone who would bring an entirely different approach to the demanding role.
Trump made the unusual offer in a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, praising White’s personality and background in combat sports while urging him to accept the position.
“Dana will be a Press Secretary like none other,” Trump wrote. “Dana, please take the job!”
However, it remains unclear whether the president’s public announcement represents a formal appointment or was intended as a humorous gesture.
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White, who was attending a UFC-related boxing event in London, later confirmed that he would be meeting Trump in Washington on Monday to discuss the offer.
Speaking to reporters after the fight between British former world champion Chris Billam-Smith and Jamaican-born British boxer Cheavon Clarke at the Copper Box Arena, White acknowledged the president’s proposal but stopped short of confirming whether he was interested.
“I got a lot of jobs already,” he said, adding that he expected the meeting to provide an opportunity for further discussions.
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“I’m sure we’ll have something to talk about after that,” he added.
CNN, however, cited a source familiar with the matter as saying White had declined the idea.
The position of White House Press Secretary has reportedly been vacant since mid-October, following the departure of Katie Zacharia less than five days after taking up the role.
Trump’s public offer also comes against the backdrop of a major political setback for Republicans in the US midterm elections, with the party losing its congressional majorities.
In his Truth Social post, Trump described White as a “violent Fighter and Warrior” and suggested that he should bring several prominent UFC fighters along with him to the White House, despite some of them being foreign nationals.
“We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left,” the president wrote, accompanying the message with photographs of six fighters.
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Following Trump’s announcement, White further fuelled speculation by sharing an Instagram photograph of himself standing behind the lectern in the White House press briefing room.
“On to the next chapter,” he captioned the photograph, although it was unclear whether the post was a serious indication of his intentions or simply a joke.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung also appeared to support the proposal, responding enthusiastically to Trump’s post on X.
“Hell yeah! Do it, @DanaWhite!” Cheung wrote.
Despite the speculation, White already has several demanding professional responsibilities.
Apart from overseeing the UFC and Power Slap, a regulated slap-fighting promotion, he recently launched Zuffa Boxing, a professional boxing promotion company.
He was also appointed as one of three new board members of Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, last year.
White is widely recognised for his outspoken personality and confrontational approach, which has occasionally resulted in disagreements with journalists covering the UFC.
In 2020, he publicly criticised reporters who questioned the organisation’s decision to continue staging fights during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He also faced criticism in 2009 after releasing an expletive-filled video response that included an anti-gay slur while addressing a journalist’s report concerning changes to backstage media accreditation at UFC events.
Nevertheless, his relationship with Trump has remained particularly strong over the years.
White has been a longtime supporter and close associate of the president, dating back to the early days of the UFC’s development.
In 2001, White and his business partners acquired the struggling mixed martial arts organisation for approximately $2 million at a time when the sport faced significant opposition across the United States.
The UFC had previously been criticised by Republican Senator John McCain, who famously described mixed martial arts as “human cockfighting”. The controversy contributed to the sport being banned in 36 US states.
White has repeatedly credited Trump with helping the UFC survive during those difficult years by providing venues for two events at the Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 2001.
At the time, many major venues were unwilling to host UFC events because of concerns surrounding the sport and its audience.
White subsequently became a prominent supporter of Trump’s political campaigns, speaking at the Republican National Conventions in 2016, 2020 and 2024.
He also appeared on stage during Trump’s victory speech following his successful 2024 presidential election campaign.
More recently, the UFC staged a highly publicised cage-fighting event on the White House lawn, further highlighting the close relationship between the organisation’s leadership and the president.
Whether White will eventually accept Trump’s latest proposal remains uncertain. However, their scheduled Monday meeting in Washington is expected to provide further clarity on the unusual offer and whether the UFC chief could be preparing for an unexpected career move into American politics.
