Trump says he was kidding about Dana White press secretary
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The gist
Trump said he was "only kidding" about naming UFC CEO Dana White his press secretary.
The job has been vacant since October, days after midterm losses.
Background
Dana White is CEO and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC, the mixed-martial-arts promotion) and a longtime friend of Trump; the two have known each other for decades, dating back to the UFC's early years when Trump hosted fights at his Atlantic City property. The press secretary position has been vacant since October, when Katie Zacharia was let go after just five days, having replaced Karoline Leavitt, who left in August. The offer came after Trump's party's deep losses in Tuesday's midterm elections, after which he replaced his chief of staff, naming Stephen Miller to replace Susie Wiles.
How it unfolded
- Nov 7, 2026Trump posted on Truth Social that "the Great Dana White, a violent Fighter and Warrior, has been offered the job of Press Secretary of the United States," asking him to bring UFC fighters including Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje and Amanda Nunes as assistants.
- Nov 7, 2026White said at a boxing event in London he was heading to Washington that night and had a meeting with Trump scheduled for Monday; he also posted an image of himself behind the White House briefing room lectern captioned "On to the next chapter."
- Nov 8, 2026Trump told reporters in Palm Beach, Florida, he was "only kidding," saying "Dana loves the idea, and there's only one Dana. He's great," and said the Monday meeting was still on but unrelated to the press secretary position.
- Nov 8, 2026Trump posted a cartoon video to Truth Social featuring White and UFC fighters in the White House briefing room, depicting the fighters attacking reporters.
- Nov 9, 2026White is set to visit Trump at the White House on Monday.
Key terms
- press secretary
- A senior White House official who acts as spokesperson for the U.S. executive branch and the president.
- midterm losses
- US general elections held near the midpoint of a president's four-year term, when all House seats and about a third of Senate seats are contested.
- chief of staff
- The head of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, a senior aide leading White House staff operations.
Source: Wikipedia
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Trump said he was "only kidding" and that "it was just a little fun," while noting White likes the idea and is "a very capable guy."
- Party
- White said "we have a meeting Monday, so I'm sure I'll have more to talk about after that," and posted "On to the next chapter" alongside an image of himself at the briefing room lectern.
Still unverified
A social media theory that Trump meant to offer the job to former Pentagon spokesperson Dana W. White, who shares the UFC executive's name, remains unverified with no credible evidence supporting the mix-up.