‘Dana, Please Take the Job!’ – Trump Asks UFC Boss to Be White House Press Secretary

President Donald Trump has publicly asked Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White to become the next White House press secretary. In a Saturday social media post, the president described the longtime friend and combat sports executive as “a violent Fighter and Warrior” and urged him to accept the role.

Trump’s Unusual Offer and Context

Trump made the announcement on Truth Social, writing that he was “pleased to announce that the Great Dana White… has been offered the job of Press Secretary of the United States.” He went further, requesting that White bring a group of high-profile UFC fighters to serve as assistants. The names listed included Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harris.

“We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left,” Trump added. “Dana will be a Press Secretary like none other. Dana, please take the job!”

The post arrived days after Republicans suffered significant losses in the midterm elections, with Democrats gaining control of both chambers of Congress. The White House press secretary position has stood vacant since mid-October. Katie Zacharia held the role for only five days before departing, following the earlier exit of Karoline Leavitt in late August.

Observers immediately noted the unconventional nature of the suggestion. The traditional press secretary role focuses on briefing journalists, managing the administration’s public message and fielding questions under intense scrutiny. Pairing that responsibility with a cadre of professional fighters marked a sharp departure from established norms.

White’s Initial Response and Next Steps

Dana White, who was in London promoting a boxing event at the time of the post, responded indirectly on social media. He shared an image of himself standing behind the lectern in the White House briefing room with the caption “On to the next chapter.” Later, speaking to reporters, he confirmed he planned to meet Trump in Washington on Monday to discuss the matter.

A source familiar with the situation later indicated that White had declined the formal offer. Nevertheless, the scheduled meeting suggested the conversation remained open, at least for the moment. White has built a multi-hundred-million-dollar career leading the UFC and has maintained a close personal and professional relationship with Trump for more than two decades. That relationship includes high-profile appearances and even a UFC event staged on the White House grounds earlier in 2026 to mark both the nation’s 250th anniversary and the president’s 80th birthday.

Broader Implications for the Administration

The vacancy in the press secretary’s office has left the White House without a primary public face for daily briefings at a politically sensitive time. With Democrats preparing to use their new majorities to conduct oversight of the administration, the communications team faces heightened pressure. Trump’s public appeal to White may have been intended partly as a show of defiance and partly as an attention-grabbing attempt to reframe the post-election narrative.

Whether serious or theatrical, the episode highlights the president’s preference for unconventional appointments and his comfort with figures drawn from outside traditional political circles. White’s combative public style and loyalty to Trump make him an intriguing, if highly unorthodox, candidate in the eyes of the president’s supporters. Critics, however, questioned whether the skills required to run a global sports promotion translate effectively to the daily demands of White House messaging and media management.

What Comes Next

As of early Sunday, no formal acceptance or rejection had been confirmed by either the White House or the UFC. The Monday meeting between Trump and White will likely clarify the status of the offer. In the meantime, the administration continues to operate without a permanent press secretary, relying on other communications staff to handle public messaging.

The episode adds another colorful chapter to the long association between Trump and the world of mixed martial arts. For now, the question remains whether Dana White will leave the octagon for the briefing room—or whether the president’s dramatic invitation will ultimately join the list of high-profile ideas that never fully materialized.

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