Trump says Dana White press secretary offer was a joke
President Donald Trump offered UFC president and CEO Dana White the job of press secretary on Saturday, then said Sunday he was joking.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: "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 added: "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!"
The post also named several UFC fighters as potential assistants, including Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes, and Kayla Harris.
White posted an image of himself on Instagram stories standing behind the press secretary’s lectern in the White House, with the caption, "On to the next chapter." He said he was flying to Washington, D.C., to meet Trump on Monday.
"I got a lot of jobs already," White said. "We have a meeting on Monday, so I’m sure I’ll have more to talk about after that."
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump said: "I will tell you, I was only kidding, but Dana loves the idea, and there’s only one Dana. He’s great."
Trump also said the Monday meeting was unrelated to the press secretary position and that White was coming to Washington for other reasons.
The press secretary position has been vacant since Katie Zacharia left after five days on the job. Zacharia had replaced Karoline Leavitt, who left the role in August.
On Friday, Trump named Stephen Miller as chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles.
Trump’s Republican Party suffered record losses in the November 3 midterm elections, losing majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
