Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White has rejected an offer to become the next White House press secretary after US President Donald Trump jokingly asked him to take up the high-profile position during a surprise appearance at the White House on Monday.
Trump, who had sparked widespread speculation over the weekend after announcing on social media that he had offered White the position, brought the UFC boss into the James Brady Press Briefing Room and publicly asked whether he would be interested in the job.
“So let me ask you the big question. Would you like to be press secretary of the United States of America? Or do you just want to stay with this ridiculous UFC? Huh?” Trump asked.
Responding to the president, White thanked him for the offer but made it clear that he had no interest in entering politics.
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“Thank you for the offer, sir. I have no, no — I do not want to be in politics,” White replied.
Trump, appearing amused by the response, jokingly expressed disappointment before leaving the briefing room.
“I am devastated to hear this. Goodbye, everybody,” the president said.
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The unusual exchange followed Trump’s Saturday announcement that he had asked White, whom he described as a “violent Fighter and Warrior,” to become the White House press secretary.
However, Trump clarified on Sunday that the offer was made jokingly, describing the announcement as a bit of fun.
White’s appearance at the White House on Monday provided an opportunity for the president to publicly revisit the suggestion.
Introducing the UFC boss to journalists, Trump described him as a great personality but joked about his fighting background.
“He’s a great guy,” Trump told reporters. “The only problem is he’ll talk for a little while and then he’s going to beat the hell out of you.”
Standing behind the lectern in a black T-shirt and jacket, White appeared comfortable addressing the gathering, joking that he had always wanted to experience a White House press briefing.
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“I’ve always wanted to do this. Who has the first question?” he said, before quickly making his position clear: “I have zero political aspirations.”
White also disclosed that the last 24 hours had been overwhelming following Trump’s announcement.
“The last 24 hours of my life has been insane,” he said.
When a journalist asked him to confirm whether he had rejected the offer, White explained that he did not want to respond in a manner that could be considered disrespectful to the president.
“I don’t tell the president ‘no’ to anything. I didn’t want to be disrespectful and say anything until he said something first,” he added.
White House Press Secretary Position Remains Vacant
The exchange comes amid uncertainty surrounding the White House press secretary position, which has reportedly remained vacant following Katie Zacharia’s departure on October 16, less than a week after assuming the role.
Her predecessor, Karoline Leavitt, left the position in August after serving for approximately 18 months.
Trump’s initial announcement concerning White had generated speculation about a possible change in the administration’s communications strategy, particularly following the Republican Party’s disappointing performance in the midterm elections.
White, 57, is a longtime friend and political ally of Trump. Their relationship has been strengthened by their shared interest in combat sports, with the UFC president helping organise a major mixed martial arts event on the White House lawn earlier this year.
Despite his close relationship with the president, White has now made it clear that he has no intention of swapping the UFC octagon for a political career.
Following the exchange, Trump proceeded to take questions from journalists on major international and domestic issues, including the conflicts involving Iran and Ukraine, as well as questions surrounding the possible impeachment of the Pentagon leadership.
