Dana White Turns Down Trump’s Offer of White House Press Secretary Job

UFC chief Dana White has turned down President Donald Trump’s apparently jovial offer of the press secretary job, in a surprise White House appearance on Monday.

Trump had announced on social media that he’d asked White to take the post, then said a day later that he was “only kidding.”

Trump Brings UFC Chief to Briefing Room After Saying He Was “Only Kidding”

White visited the White House on Monday, and Trump brought him out for a chaotic news conference in the James Brady Briefing Room.

Trump asked whether he’d like to be press secretary or stay with “this ridiculous UFC.” White replied that he doesn’t want to be in politics. Trump smiled and left, saying he was devastated.

The post has been vacant since Katie Zacharia left on 16 October after less than a week. Her predecessor Karoline Leavitt left in August. The offer had prompted speculation about an aggressive stance after the Republican Party’s midterm defeat.

White, a longtime friend of Trump who helped host a UFC event on the White House lawn this year, joked he’d always wanted to do this, then added he has “zero political aspirations.”

He said he doesn’t tell the president no to anything and didn’t want to speak before Trump did. Trump then took questions on the Iran and Ukraine wars, a possible impeachment of Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and a spy scandal involving Nvidia boss Jensen Huang.