On a Saturday in early November, President Trump publicly offered UFC chief Dana White the job of White House press secretary, wrapping the invitation in a vision of mixed martial arts fighters serving as his staff against what he called the 'Lunatic Left.' It is the latest turn in a friendship that stretches back to the years when UFC was still fighting for legitimacy, and it arrives at a moment when the press office has already changed hands again and again. Whether this is a sincere proposal, a provocation, or a passing jest remains unsettled, and the answer will say as much about the natur
Trump Says He Offered UFC's Dana White the White House Press Secretary Job
"On to the next chapter."
Mark
Trump says he offered Dana White the press secretary job. What actually happened on Saturday?
Mimi
Trump posted on Truth Social on Nov. 7 that he'd made the offer, and he listed fighters he'd like as assistants: Makhachev, Nurmagomedov, Gaethje, Cormier and Nunes, plus someone he wrote as "Kayla Harris," apparently Kayla Harrison.
Mark
And White's reaction?
Mimi
He shared the post and put a photo of himself at the White House podium on Instagram, with the caption "On to the next chapter."
Luke
Careful, though. That caption isn't an acceptance. Nothing in the reporting says White took the job.
Mimi
Agreed. The post didn't establish acceptance either, and it wasn't clear Trump was serious.
Mark
Why does the timing matter?
Mimi
The press office has turned over a lot. Leavitt left in August, Zacharia was named Oct. 9 and was out within days, and Trump said Oct. 23 he was in no rush.
Luke
Worth noting the Zacharia dates come from two outlets, Fox News Digital and ABC, and the start and exit timing is thin. The broad point of rapid turnover holds.
Mark
What about White's own stance on politics?
Mimi
In November 2024 he said he had no personal political aspirations. But that's two years old.
Luke
Right, so it's context, not an answer. We don't yet know what White or the White House will say.
Il Polso
- Trump's Truth Social post turned a job offer into a public spectacle, naming fighters as prospective staff and calling them defenders against the 'Lunatic Left.'
- The press office is already in turmoil after Katie Zacharia's brief tenure ended within days, leaving the role open and the White House saying it was in no rush.
- Dana White answered with a photo at the White House press podium captioned 'On to the next chapter,' but neither he nor the White House has confirmed acceptance.
- The matter now hinges on whether White speaks for himself, whether any formal appointment follows, and whether the press secretary post finally finds a steady occupant.
On a Saturday in early November, President Trump publicly offered UFC chief Dana White the job of White House press secretary, wrapping the invitation in a vision of mixed martial arts fighters serving as his staff against what he called the 'Lunatic Left.' It is the latest turn in a friendship that stretches back to the years when UFC was still fighting for legitimacy, and it arrives at a moment when the press office has already changed hands again and again. Whether this is a sincere proposal, a provocation, or a passing jest remains unsettled, and the answer will say as much about the nature of the office as about the man invited to fill it.
On Saturday, Nov. 7, President Trump posted on Truth Social that he had offered Dana White, the CEO of UFC, the job of White House press secretary. The post did not stop there. It sketched a staff of mixed martial arts stars, including Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier and Amanda Nunes, to serve as White's assistants, because, in Trump's words, "We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left." He closed with a plea: "Dana, please take the job!"
White responded quickly, though not in words. He posted a photo of himself at the White House press podium on Instagram with the caption "On to the next chapter" and shared Trump's post. Neither that gesture nor the post establishes that he accepted, and it remains unclear whether Trump was serious.
The offer lands in a press office that has been in flux for months. Karoline Leavitt left in August. Katie Zacharia was named her successor in October, started work Oct. 12, and was gone within days. Asked about a replacement on Oct. 23, Trump said, "We're in no rush."
The bond between the two men runs deep, from Trump's early support for UFC through White's loyal backing of his campaigns and his place at Trump's side in the second term, including the UFC Freedom 250 event on the White House South Lawn in June. White once said he had "no personal political aspirations," a statement from 2024 that says little about this moment.
What comes next is whether White speaks for himself, whether a formal appointment follows, and whether the press office finally gets someone to stay.
On Saturday, Nov. 7, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he had offered UFC CEO Dana White the job of White House press secretary. The post went further than a job offer. It sketched out a staff of mixed martial arts stars to serve as White's assistants, with a stated purpose: "We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left," Trump wrote.
The post came with an image collage and a roster. Trump named Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier and Amanda Nunes as prospective assistants, and acknowledged that some of them are not American. He also listed "Kayla Harris," which appears to refer to UFC fighter Kayla Harrison, a two-time Olympic judo gold medalist. He closed with a direct appeal: "Dana, please take the job!"
White answered quickly, though not in words that settle anything. Shortly after the post went up, he put a photo on his Instagram Story showing himself at the White House press podium, captioned "On to the next chapter." He also shared Trump's post. Neither the post nor White's reaction establishes that he accepted the position, and it was not immediately clear whether Trump meant the proposal seriously. OutKick has asked the White House and UFC for comment.
The offer lands in a press office that has been unsettled for months. Karoline Leavitt left the press secretary role in August. Trump announced Katie Zacharia as her successor on Oct. 9, according to Fox News Digital. ABC News reported that Zacharia started work Oct. 12 and was already transitioning out by that Friday. Fox News Digital reported her departure on Oct. 16, following her debut. Asked on Oct. 23 about finding a replacement, Trump told reporters, "No, nothing much. We're in no rush."
Other personnel news arrived the day before. On Friday, the White House announced that Stephen Miller would succeed Susie Wiles as chief of staff. That change was confirmed. The press secretary question, by contrast, remains open after Saturday's post.
The relationship between Trump and White runs back decades and is tied to Trump's early backing of UFC while the promotion was trying to establish itself. According to Sports Business Journal, Trump hosted UFC events in Atlantic City as early as 2001. White later became a prominent supporter of Trump's presidential campaigns, spoke at Trump's 2024 election-night victory celebration, and introduced him at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where he talked about their long friendship and praised Trump's resilience.
The bond carried into the second term. Trump attended UFC Freedom 250 on the White House South Lawn on June 14, 2026, and official White House photographs showed Trump and White walking through the building together on the way to the event.
White has previously played down any interest in politics himself. In November 2024, when Sports Business Journal asked about a possible role in the incoming administration, he said, "I have no personal political aspirations." That statement is two years old and says nothing definitive about how he views this offer.
What to watch now is whether White responds in his own words, whether the White House confirms any formal appointment, and whether the press office finally gets a permanent occupant.
Citazioni salienti
We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left.— President Donald Trump, Truth Social
I have no personal political aspirations.— Dana White, Sports Business Journal, November 2024
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Politics & Governance