On Saturday, President Trump offered UFC chief Dana White the vacant White House press secretary job, asking him to bring six MMA fighters as assistants.
From his Florida golf club, Trump posted on Truth Social that he wanted Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov, along with Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harrison, as assistants.
I am pleased to announce that the Great Dana White, a violent Fighter and Warrior, has been offered the job of Press Secretary of the United States
The fighters were needed to defend the administration against the Lunatic Left, Trump said, and White would be a press secretary like none other.
White was in London on Saturday for the Zuffa Boxing 12 event when he announced he’d fly to Washington and meet Trump on Monday; alongside a photograph of himself at the White House press briefing room podium, he posted an image of Trump’s announcement on Instagram, captioned "On to the next chapter".
I'm flying to DC right now and I'm sure we'll have something to talk about after that.
Before his London news conference, CNN reported that White would turn down Trump’s offer. Asked how he’d fit the role around his current positions, White said he already had a lot of jobs.
A shift toward combative politics
Trump’s offer came after Democratic candidates won historic midterm victories on Tuesday, including in areas Republicans had held for decades, costing Republicans control of both chambers of Congress.
On Friday, Trump announced that Stephen Miller, architect of the administration’s hard-line immigration policies, would replace Susie Wiles as chief of staff. Wiles had moderated the president’s impulses; Miller takes a more aggressive approach.
A vacant post with a chaotic history
The press secretary position remains without a chief spokesperson. Karoline Leavitt held the role from January 2025 until August 2026, and Katie Zacharia left after five days and a single widely criticised briefing.
White, 57, is president and chief executive of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the global mixed martial arts organisation. He also runs the Zuffa Boxing organisation with Saudi Arabian backers, and has described ambitions to expand it and hold more events worldwide.
White has deep ties to Trump. He addressed the Republican National Conventions in 2016, 2020 and 2024, and their work together dates to a UFC event at the Trump Taj Mahal casino in 2001. Since returning to the White House in January 2025, Trump has joined White at several UFC events.
In June, a UFC event called UFC Freedom 250 was held on the White House South Lawn to mark America’s 250th anniversary and Trump’s 80th birthday. Near the executive mansion, a wire-mesh Octagon was built under a spaceship-like metal arch called "The Claw", fitted with lights, sound equipment and large screens.
Neither the White House nor a UFC spokesperson responded to requests for comment on Saturday.
