President Donald Trump clarified on Sunday that he wasn’t serious when he announced on social media his offer to make UFC President Dana White the White House press secretary. Trump stated, “I will tell you, I was only kidding,” when asked about the intention behind his jest.
Trump mentioned the list of fighters he proposed as White’s assistants should have signaled the joke. He humorously remarked about the ‘rough faces’ of the fighters and noted that some hailed from ‘parts unknown.’
DANA WHITE DENIES AMERICA 250 UFC FIGHT AT WHITE HOUSE WILL BE ‘POLITICAL,’ ‘NOT AT ALL’ ABOUT POLITICS
In a light moment during the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House, Trump expressed his high regard for White, calling him “a very capable guy.” He added, “You wouldn’t mess around with him so much.”
Trump shared that Dana White was visiting Washington but not for the offered role. He confirmed, “Dana is actually coming tomorrow.” He noted that White would be in town for other reasons and would meet him.
The previous day, Trump took to Truth Social, mentioning UFC stars like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, and Amanda Nunes as potential assistants to White. Trump remarked that some people thought the idea had merit.
White responded by sharing Trump’s post on Instagram with a photo behind the White House podium, captioning it, “On to the next chapter.”
This exchange followed the recent departure of Katie Zacharia from her role as press secretary. Trump explained there was no rush to fill the position following Zacharia’s exit, who had replaced Karoline Leavitt in August.
Trump and White’s relationship goes back decades to when the UFC held events at Trump’s Atlantic City properties. White publicly supported Trump at the 2024 Republican National Convention and during the White House UFC event.
In a previous interview with Sports Business Journal, White indicated he had no political aspirations for a role in Trump’s administration.
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