UFC CEO Dana White spoke at a White House press briefing with President Donald Trump on November 9, 2026, saying he has no political aspirations after Trump joked about offering him the press secretary role.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
UFC CEO Dana White took the podium at a White House press briefing on Monday, November 9, 2026, alongside President Donald Trump, who said his weekend suggestion that White become press secretary was a joke.
Trump told reporters he made the comment after "a very bad press day" and that he was "sort of kidding." White addressed the rumors directly, saying, "I have zero political aspirations." He added that he was at a Zuffa Boxing event in London when Trump called to tell him about the announcement, and that the past 24 hours had been "insane."
White also said he never explicitly told Trump "no" regarding the position.
Trump described White as "the toughest, most resilient human being that I've ever met in my entire life." When asked about a hypothetical UFC cage match between Trump and former President Joe Biden, White said, "It would be very bad."
Regarding a potential posthumous pardon for Pete Rose, who died in 2024, Trump reiterated that he favors pardoning the hit king. Rose was banned from MLB Hall of Fame eligibility due to betting on baseball games, including those involving his own team, the Cincinnati Reds. In 2025, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred removed Rose and 16 other deceased people from the permanently ineligible list.
The press secretary role has been vacant since Katie Zacharia left on October 16 after less than a week in the post, according to AFP via France24. Trump posted on Truth Social on Saturday offering White the job and listing UFC fighters as potential assistants, then said on Sunday that he was kidding.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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