Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Nov 9: US President Donald Trump has clarified that he was "only kidding" when he announced that he had offered UFC CEO Dana White the position of White House press secretary, reversing his earlier statement about the appointment.
Trump said on November 8 that White "loves the idea" of becoming press secretary but added that the announcement about the job offer was made in jest.
In a post on Truth Social on November 7, Trump had written that he was "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 post featured photographs of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) athletes.
The announcement came on the same day White told reporters in London that he was travelling to Washington, DC, and planned to meet Trump on November 9. White declined to disclose details of the meeting, saying he expected to have more to share afterwards.
White also posted a photograph of himself standing at the White House press briefing podium on his Instagram Story, accompanied by the caption "On to the next chapter" and a screenshot of Trump's announcement. However, within an hour of the president's post, White's X account was promoting upcoming UFC fights.
The White House did not respond to USA TODAY's request for comment. White and the UFC also did not immediately respond to requests for comment from MMA Junkie, part of the USA TODAY Network.
The White House press secretary position has remained vacant following the departure of Katie Zacharia, who left the role after just five days in October. Karoline Leavitt had announced her departure in August after serving for more than a year and a half, citing her desire to spend more time with her family following the birth of her second child.
White is a longtime friend of Trump and has frequently hosted the president at UFC events. He also organised UFC's Freedom 250 event on the White House lawn in June, held as part of celebrations marking Trump's birthday and the 250th anniversary of the United States.
White has also been a prominent supporter of Trump at Republican National Conventions. He spoke at the 2016 and 2024 conventions and introduced Trump at the latter. During his 2024 address, White described Trump as a friend of 25 years and said the president genuinely cared about people.