In a moment when the White House podium stands empty and the country is bracing for a new season of political scrutiny, the President has reached beyond the usual corridors of Washington to a man who built his name in the cage. Dana White, long a fixture of Trump's public life, now faces a question that blurs spectacle and statecraft: whether a fighter's certainty can be trusted to speak for a government. Whether the offer was a serious proposal, a joke, or a test of loyalty remains unsettled, as it often is when power and entertainment share the same stage. What is clear is that the story of
Dana White Reportedly Turned Down Trump's White House Press Secretary Offer, Then Said He'll Meet the President
"Yeah, I got a lot of jobs already."
Mark
Why does a social media post about a job offer matter this much?
Mimi
Because the job is actually empty. Karoline Leavitt left in August, and her replacement, Katie Zacharia, lasted under a week after a rough first briefing.
Mark
And Dana White isn't a stranger to Trump.
Mimi
Not at all. They go back to the early 2000s and the Taj Mahal casino, he spoke at the 2016, 2020 and 2024 conventions, and Trump hosted a UFC event on the South Lawn in June.
Luke
Before we go further, did White decline or not? The reports conflict.
Mimi
They do. CNN's source says he turned it down. But White himself said he'd fly to Washington Monday to meet Trump.
Luke
And that CNN claim is a single unnamed source. The aide who said Trump was joking is also unnamed, so neither is confirmed on the record.
Mark
What about the Instagram post with the briefing room image?
Mimi
He shared Trump's post with a picture of himself at the podium and the words "On to the next chapter." Steven Cheung also cheered it on.
Luke
Those are signals, not confirmation. Nobody has said an offer was formally made or accepted.
Mark
What's the larger context?
Mimi
Democrats won both chambers and promised investigations, and Stephen Miller is replacing Susie Wiles as chief of staff on Monday.
Luke
So the setting is clear, but what Monday's meeting will actually produce is unknown.
O Pulso
- A president's public invitation to a UFC chief for the press secretary post has jolted Washington's already tense communications landscape.
- Conflicting reports leave the offer hanging: CNN says White declined, a White House aide calls it a joke, and White himself says he will meet Trump Monday.
- The vacancy is acute, after Karoline Leavitt's exit and Katie Zacharia's brief, troubled tenure that became the shortest in the role's history.
- Democrats' midterm gains and promised investigations raise the stakes, and Monday's Washington meeting will show whether the idea goes anywhere.
In a moment when the White House podium stands empty and the country is bracing for a new season of political scrutiny, the President has reached beyond the usual corridors of Washington to a man who built his name in the cage. Dana White, long a fixture of Trump's public life, now faces a question that blurs spectacle and statecraft: whether a fighter's certainty can be trusted to speak for a government. Whether the offer was a serious proposal, a joke, or a test of loyalty remains unsettled, as it often is when power and entertainment share the same stage. What is clear is that the story of who speaks for the administration is still being written.
On Saturday, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social offering the White House press secretary job to Dana White, the 57-year-old head of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He praised White as a "violent fighter and warrior" and said the country needs people like him to defend it against the "Lunatic Left." He even suggested White bring six current and former UFC fighters along as assistants, sharing their photographs by name.
What followed is murky. CNN, citing a source, said White turned the offer down, and a White House aide suggested the president might have been joking. White himself, speaking in London, said he would fly to Washington to meet Trump on Monday, adding, "I'm sure I'll have more to talk about after that." He posted the offer on Instagram beside an image of himself at the White House briefing podium, captioned "On to the next chapter."
The job is vacant for a reason. Karoline Leavitt left in August after about 18 months, and her successor, Katie Zacharia, departed within a week after a difficult first briefing. The timing adds weight, with Democrats now holding majorities in Congress and preparing investigations. Monday's meeting will reveal whether the offer was serious.
On Saturday, President Donald Trump went to Truth Social and offered the White House press secretary job to Dana White, the 57-year-old chief executive of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He called White a "violent fighter and warrior" and wrote that the country needs such people to defend it against the "Lunatic Left." White, he said, would be a press secretary "like none other."
The post came with a suggestion: White should bring six current and former UFC fighters along as assistants. Trump shared their photographs and named them: Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes.
What happened next is unclear. CNN, citing a source familiar with the matter, reported that White turned the offer down. A White House aide suggested Trump may have been joking. But White, speaking to reporters in London, where he was attending a boxing event, said he would fly to Washington and meet Trump on Monday. AP reported his remarks. "I'm sure I'll have more to talk about after that," he said. Asked how he would fit a White House post around his existing work in fighting, he answered, "Yeah, I got a lot of jobs already."
Before the news conference, White had shared Trump's post on Instagram, alongside an image of himself standing behind the podium in the White House briefing room. The caption read "On to the next chapter." White House communications director Steven Cheung also appeared to back the idea, reposting Trump's message with the words "Hell yeah! Do it, @DanaWhite!"
The job is open. Karoline Leavitt left in August after about 18 months as press secretary, saying she wanted more time with her young family, and has since joined Fox News as a contributor. Her successor, Katie Zacharia, lasted less than a week. She left after a difficult first briefing, which makes hers the shortest tenure in the history of the role.
The vacancy matters more now because of the political backdrop. Democrats won majorities in both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections and have promised investigations into the administration. The White House will need someone at the podium. On Friday, Trump also announced that Susie Wiles, a longtime adviser, would be replaced as chief of staff by Stephen Miller, one of his closest allies and the architect of the administration's hard-line immigration policies. AP reported that Miller is expected to take over on Monday.
White's ties to Trump run back to the early 2000s, when Trump's Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City hosted UFC events. They grew closer after White publicly backed Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. He has spoken at the Republican National Conventions in 2016, 2020 and 2024. Since Trump returned to office in January 2025, the president has regularly attended UFC events with him. Trump has credited White with helping him reach younger audiences, particularly young male voters, in 2024.
In June, Trump hosted a UFC event on the White House South Lawn, tied to celebrations of the 250th anniversary of American independence and his own 80th birthday. A wire-mesh Octagon was built near the executive mansion. "It was an amazing experience, this was a one-of-one," White said afterward.
White also runs Zuffa Boxing with Saudi Arabian backers and has spoken of expanding it and staging more boxing events abroad. Monday's meeting in Washington should show whether the offer was serious, and whether White's "next chapter" post meant what it appeared to.
Citações Notáveis
We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left.— Donald Trump, on Truth Social
I'm sure I'll have more to talk about after that.— Dana White, on his planned Monday meeting with Trump
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