President Donald Trump said Saturday that he had offered UFC CEO Dana White the job of White House press secretary, floating a roster of mixed martial arts fighters to join him in defending the administration against political critics.
In a Nov. 7 post on Truth Social, Trump paired the offer with a list of fighters and a photo collage. The post did not make clear whether White had accepted, or whether Trump was being entirely serious.
“We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left,” Trump wrote.
Shortly after the post went up, White shared a photo on his Instagram Story showing him standing at the White House press podium, captioned “On to the next chapter.” He also reposted Trump’s Truth Social message announcing the offer.
Trump named Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier and Amanda Nunes as potential assistants, acknowledging that some of them are not American. He also listed “Kayla Harris,” an apparent reference to UFC fighter and two-time Olympic judo gold medalist Kayla Harrison.
“Dana, please take the job!” Trump added.
A Press Secretary Vacancy
The post lands amid turnover among Trump’s senior staff. Katie Zacharia left the press secretary position shortly after taking it over, according to Fox News Digital reporting from Oct. 16. Trump had announced her as successor to Karoline Leavitt on Oct. 9, after Leavitt departed in August. ABC News reported that Zacharia started the job Oct. 12 and was transitioning out just days later, on Oct. 17.
Asked on Oct. 23 about finding a new press secretary, Trump told reporters, “No, nothing much. We’re in no rush.”
Separately, the White House announced Friday that Stephen Miller would succeed Susie Wiles as chief of staff. That change is confirmed; Trump’s weekend appeal to White concerning the press secretary role remains unresolved.
A Decades-Long Friendship
Trump and White have known each other for decades, a relationship that traces back to Trump’s early support of the UFC when the promotion was still establishing itself. Trump hosted UFC events in Atlantic City as early as 2001, according to Sports Business Journal.
White went on to become a vocal supporter of Trump’s presidential campaigns, speaking at his 2024 election-night celebration and introducing him at that year’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where he spoke about their friendship and praised Trump’s resilience.
The relationship has continued into Trump’s second term. The president attended a UFC event on the White House South Lawn, with official White House photographs showing Trump and White walking through the building together ahead of the event.
White has previously said he has no interest in holding political office himself. “I have no personal political aspirations,” he told Sports Business Journal in November 2024 when asked about a possible role in Trump’s incoming administration. That comment predates Saturday’s offer by two years and does not indicate how White might respond now.
The White House and UFC have not yet responded to requests for comment.
