Dana White Rejects Trump’s Surprise Offer to Become White House Press Secretary

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president Dana White has turned down US President Donald Trump’s apparently lighthearted offer to become the White House press secretary, during a surprise appearance at the White House on Monday.

Trump had sparked widespread speculation on Saturday after announcing on social media that he had offered White the high-profile position. However, the 80-year-old president later clarified that he had been joking.

White, 57, appeared alongside Trump at a news conference in the James Brady Briefing Room, where the president publicly repeated his offer.

“So let me ask you the big question. Would you like to be press secretary of the United States of America? Or do you just want to stay with this ridiculous UFC? Huh?” Trump asked.

“Thank you for the offer, sir. I have no, no — I do not want to be in politics,” White replied.

Trump smiled before leaving the briefing room, joking: “I am devastated to hear this. Goodbye, everybody.”

White rules out political ambitions

Introducing White to reporters, Trump acknowledged that his earlier announcement had been intended as a joke.

“He’s a great guy,” Trump said. “The only problem is he’ll talk for a little while and then he’s going to beat the hell out of you.”

Wearing a black T-shirt and jacket, White appeared at the lectern and joked about experiencing the White House briefing room from a different perspective.

“I’ve always wanted to do this. Who has the first question?” he said, before adding: “I have zero political aspirations.”

White described the previous 24 hours as extraordinary, saying: “The last 24 hours of my life has been insane” following Trump’s announcement.

Asked whether he had rejected the president’s offer, White responded cautiously: “I don’t tell the president ‘no’ to anything… I didn’t want to be disrespectful and say anything until he said something first.”

White House press secretary position remains vacant

The exchange comes as the White House press secretary position remains vacant following Katie Zacharia’s departure on October 16, less than a week after taking the job.

Her predecessor, Karoline Leavitt, left the position in August after approximately 18 months in the role.

Trump’s initial announcement describing White as a “violent Fighter and Warrior” fuelled speculation about a possible change in the administration’s communications approach, particularly following the Republican Party’s disappointing performance in the midterm elections.

White is a longtime friend and political supporter of Trump. He also helped organise a major UFC event on the White House lawn earlier this year, strengthening his association with the president.

Despite the speculation surrounding the announcement, White made clear that he had no intention of entering government or pursuing a political career.

Following the exchange, Trump turned to questions on more pressing issues, including the conflicts involving Iran and Ukraine, possible impeachment proceedings against Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, and a spy scandal involving Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang.