US President Donald Trump has clarified that his reported offer to appoint Ultimate Fighting Championship chief executive, Dana White, as White House press secretary was not a serious proposal.
Trump made the clarification while speaking to journalists on Sunday, a day after announcing on his Truth Social platform that he had offered White the vacant position.
The president said White was enthusiastic about the idea but described the announcement as a joke.
“I was only kidding. But Dana loves the idea. And there’s only one Dana. He’s great,” Trump said.
He added, “It was just a little fun.”
White had earlier confirmed that he would meet Trump at the White House on Monday but declined to say whether he was interested in accepting the position.
He noted that he already had several responsibilities, although he suggested that he and the president would discuss the proposal during their meeting.
In his Saturday announcement, Trump described White as an unconventional choice for the position and urged him to accept the offer.
He also suggested that White could bring some current and former mixed martial arts fighters to serve as assistants.
“We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left,” Trump wrote, before adding, “Dana, please take the job!”
The White House press secretary position has remained vacant since October, following the departure of Katie Zacharia, who reportedly spent less than five days in the role.
She had succeeded Karoline Leavitt, who served as Trump’s press secretary from the beginning of his second presidential term.
White, a longtime ally of Trump, has publicly supported the president at the Republican National Conventions in 2016, 2020 and 2024.
He also appeared alongside Trump during his 2024 election victory celebration.
Beyond his leadership of the UFC, White is involved in PowerSlap, a slap-fighting promotion, and Zuffa Boxing. He also sits on the board of Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
