WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump said Saturday that he had offered UFC CEO and longtime ally Dana White the position of White House press secretary—an extraordinary choice even by the standards of the president’s unconventional administration. White said he plans to meet with Trump at the White House on Monday.
Trump made the announcement from his Florida golf club, writing on social media that he had offered the job to “the Great Dana White, a violent Fighter and Warrior” and asking him to serve as the Republican president’s top spokesperson.
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White, who was in London for a boxing event, addressed Trump’s post during a news conference Saturday. He said he intended to fly to Washington afterward and meet with Trump on Monday.
Asked how he would juggle the White House role with his existing responsibilities in combat sports, White appeared puzzled before acknowledging, “Yeah, I got a lot of jobs already.”
White would not discuss his conversations with Trump in detail, saying only, “I’m sure I’ll have more to talk about after that.”
Ahead of the news conference, the UFC chief posted a screenshot of Trump’s message on Instagram along with a photograph of himself behind the podium in the White House briefing room. The image carried the words, “On to the next chapter.”
The White House and a UFC spokesperson did not immediately respond Saturday to requests for comment about Trump’s Truth Social post.
Trump said he had asked White to bring several UFC fighters with him as “assistants,” adding, “We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left. Dana will be a Press Secretary like none other. Dana, please take the job!”
White did not make clear whether he was seriously weighing the offer to become the president’s primary spokesperson. During the same news conference, however, he discussed plans to expand Zuffa Boxing, the organization he operates with Saudi Arabian investors, and stage events in more locations worldwide.
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Trump’s announcement comes as the White House undergoes a major shake-up following the Republican Party’s heavy losses in Tuesday’s midterm elections. Democratic victories in areas Republicans had controlled for decades resulted in the GOP losing command of both chambers of Congress.
On Friday, Trump said longtime adviser Susie Wiles would be replaced by aide Stephen Miller as chief of staff. Wiles had been viewed as a moderating influence on the president, while Miller is widely associated with the administration’s hard-line immigration agenda and is one of Trump’s most forceful advisers.
The leadership changes follow a brief and turbulent attempt to install Katie Zacharia as press secretary. Zacharia appeared uneasy during her only briefing with reporters and left the position after just five days.
The press secretary’s office had been vacant since Karoline Leavitt departed at the end of August, leaving Trump without a permanent chief spokesperson.
Trump brought White and the UFC to the White House South Lawn in June to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence and the president’s 80th birthday. Organizers built a wire-mesh Octagon near the executive mansion beneath “The Claw,” a spaceship-style metal arch equipped with lighting, sound systems and large video screens.
“It was an amazing experience, this was a one-of-one,” White said afterward.
White has also addressed the Republican National Convention in 2016, 2020 and 2024.
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Associated Press writers Daniel Gelston in Philadelphia and Jesse Bedayn in Austin, Texas, contributed to this report.
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