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Trump offers UFC chief Dana White the press secretary role

Summarised from 6 outlets · Updated 7 Nov, 19:45 · Archive

President Trump said he has offered Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White the White House press secretary position.

President Donald Trump offered Ultimate Fighting Championship president and CEO Dana White the job of White House press secretary on Saturday afternoon in a post on Truth Social. '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,' Trump wrote.

Trump's post included images of UFC fighters in aggressive poses alongside one of White in a suit at a press podium, suggesting the offer may have been made tongue-in-cheek. In response, White posted an Instagram photo of himself standing behind the White House press briefing room lectern with the caption 'On to the next chapter', though it was unclear whether he was acknowledging the offer seriously or in jest.

Trump asked White to bring six prominent mixed martial arts fighters as assistants: Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harris. 'I have requested that he bring with him assistants, even though some are not from our Country,' Trump wrote. The fighters mentioned include international competitors from Russia and Brazil.

'We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left. Dana will be a Press Secretary like none other. Dana, please take the job!' Trump concluded his post. It remains unclear whether White has accepted the offer or what the president's intentions were in making it publicly.

The press secretary position has been vacant since mid-October, when Katie Zacharia left after just five days in the role. Zacharia's tenure ended after a widely criticised first press briefing. Trump and White are longtime allies. Trump and White have been friends for years, and White has been a prominent figure in MAGA circles since Trump's first administration.

White has a history of confrontational dealings with journalists. In 2020, he released a video attacking reporters who questioned the UFC's decision to hold fights early in the pandemic. In 2009, he released an expletive-laden video targeting a journalist over backstage credentialing rules. The BBC and other outlets asked the White House and TKO Holdings, the parent company of UFC, for comment, but neither had responded immediately.

Trump offers UFC chief Dana White the press secretary role
Image: Independent World

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In this story: Donald Trump · Dana White · Katie Zacharia · Ultimate Fighting Championship · White House

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log