General U.S. NewsNov 8, 2026·2 min read

Why Trump joked about having Dana White as his White House press secretary

Al Jazeera – News

2d ago

Why Trump joked about having Dana White as his White House press secretary

Summary

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) chief executive Dana White is set to meet United States President Donald Trump on Monday, after the Republican leader jokingly raised the prospect of him becoming the next White House press secretary. Trump announced the offer on Saturday, days after his Republican Party suffered record losses in midterm elections. In a post on Truth Social, the president praised White as “a violent Fighter and Warrior” who would bring along leading UFC fighters as “assistants” to “defend us against the Lunatic Left”. While Trump has since clarified that he was “kidding”, the post revived scrutiny of the two men’s relationship. In a news conference on Saturday, White confirmed he would soon travel to Washington, DC, to meet with Trump. He also appeared to brush aside the press secretary gig, citing his existing workload. “I got a lot of jobs already,” White, a Trump ally and donor, said. “We have a meeting on Monday, so I’m sure I’ll have more to talk about after that.” As Trump left West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday, he too clarified that the job offer was a joke. “You would have thought people would have said, ‘He’s having a good time,'” Trump said of the job offer. “I will tell you, I was only kidding. But Dana loves the idea, and there’s only one Dana.” Still, the two men posted AI-generated memes over the weekend about the potential hire over, fuelling online speculation. On Instagram Stories, White posted an image of himself standing behind the White House podium. Its caption read, “On to the next chapter.” Trump, meanwhile, published an animated cartoon of White in the White House briefing room, flanked by a row of fighters. During the November 3 elections, Trump’s Republican Party suffered record losses, losing majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

From the source

The two have business ties going back decades, and White has helped Trump reach out to younger voters.

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