Trump says he was only kidding about making Dana White press secretary
President Donald Trump said Sunday he was joking when he announced on social media that he had offered UFC boss Dana White the White House press secretary job and lined up a roster of fighters to serve as his assistants."I will tell you, I was only kidding," Trump said when asked what prompted the pitch and whether he was serious.Trump pointed to the fighters he had named as White’s would-be assistants, saying the lineup should have given the joke away."And you see a lot of rough faces there," he said. He also joked that some of the fighters came from "parts unknown."DANA WHITE DENIES AMERICA 250 UFC FIGHT AT WHITE HOUSE WILL BE 'POLITICAL,' 'NOT AT ALL' ABOUT POLITICSPresident Donald Trump and Dana White, UFC president and CEO, arrive for UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on June 14, 2026.
(Alex Brandon/AP)Trump said he thought White liked the idea and called him "a very capable guy." As for how the UFC boss might handle the job, Trump said, "You wouldn’t mess around with him so much.""But Dana is actually coming tomorrow," Trump said.He explained that the visit was for other reasons, saying he believed White already planned to be in Washington and would stop by to see him.TRUMP'S NEW PRESS SECRETARY OUT OF THE JOB JUST DAYS AFTER ROCKY DEBUTUFC CEO Dana White talks to President-elect Donald Trump ringside during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden.
(Brad Penner/Imagn Images)Trump said some people took to the idea after he floated it."And then people said, you know, that’s actually a pretty good idea," he said.The clarification came a day after Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had offered White the job.
His post named UFC stars including Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier and Amanda Nunes as prospective assistants.UFC STARS VISIT OVAL OFFICE, THANK PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR TRANSFORMING THE SPORT WITH HISTORIC WHITE HOUSE FIGHT"Dana, please take the job!" Trump wrote.White shared Trump’s post ...