President Donald Trump said Saturday that he has offered the job of White House press secretary to Dana White, the CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and a longtime friend. The announcement came in a post on Trump’s Truth Social platform, written from his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, according to the Associated Press.
In the post, Trump praised White as a fighter and a warrior and urged him to accept, writing, “Dana, please take the job!” He also said he had asked White to bring several UFC fighters with him to serve as “assistants.”
The White House did not confirm the offer or respond to requests for comment, and a UFC spokesperson did not immediately comment, the AP reported. White, who was in London for a boxing event, appeared to respond on social media: he shared Trump’s post on Instagram along with an image of himself at the podium in the White House briefing room, captioned “On to the next chapter.” As of Saturday evening, there was no formal announcement that White had accepted.
A job that has been hard to fill
The press secretary is the president’s chief spokesperson and normally leads televised briefings with the White House press corps. The position has been without a permanent occupant for weeks.
Karoline Leavitt, who served as press secretary for much of Trump’s second term, left at the end of August. Her successor, Katie Zacharia, stayed only five days. The AP reported that she appeared before reporters once and seemed uncomfortable. Yahoo Sports reported that Zacharia had been a conservative commentator and an adviser to the company that runs Truth Social, that her first briefing lasted about five minutes, and that she faced questions about whether she was a lawyer, as she had said.
Since then, Trump has had no chief spokesperson.
Part of a wider White House shake-up
The offer is the second major staffing move in two days. On Friday, Trump announced that Stephen Miller, his deputy chief of staff for policy, will replace Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff. Wiles, the first woman to hold that role, is moving to Trump’s political operation.
Both changes follow Tuesday’s midterm elections, in which Democrats won control of both the House and the Senate. Democrats are set to take over congressional committees in January, and the House is also preparing for leadership races, including Hakeem Jeffries’ bid for speaker.
A friendship that goes back decades
Trump and White have known each other for about 25 years. Yahoo Sports reported that their relationship dates to 2001, when Trump’s Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, hosted a UFC event at a time when many states did not sanction the sport. Trump has attended several UFC events since returning to office in January 2025.
In June, White brought a UFC event to the White House South Lawn as part of celebrations tied to America’s 250th anniversary and Trump’s 80th birthday. A temporary Octagon was set up near the mansion. Afterward, White described it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, according to ESPN.
White has also been a visible political supporter of Trump. He spoke at the Republican National Conventions in 2016, 2020 and 2024.
“Dana will be a Press Secretary like none other.” — President Trump, in his Saturday post, as reported by the AP
Why it is unusual
Press secretaries have traditionally come from political communications, campaign work or journalism. White’s background is in sports promotion and business. The AP described the offer as unconventional even by Trump’s standards. Trump’s description of fighters serving as assistants, and his statement that they would help defend the administration against his critics on the left, also drew attention.
Supporters of the president see White as a confident, plain-spoken communicator with a large following outside politics. Critics are likely to question whether someone without government or press experience is suited to a job that requires handling detailed policy questions every day. Neither side’s arguments had been tested by Saturday evening, because it remained unclear whether White would take the job and on what terms.
Why it matters for families
The White House press secretary is one of the main ways the public hears directly from the administration on everything from foreign conflicts to health and economic policy. Who holds the job, and how often briefings happen, affects how much information reaches ordinary Americans and how easily reporters can ask questions on their behalf.
What to watch next
- Whether White formally accepts, and whether he would step away from his role at UFC.
- Whether the White House confirms the offer and announces a start date.
- How regular press briefings resume after weeks without a permanent spokesperson.
- Further staffing changes as Stephen Miller takes over as chief of staff on Monday.
Upstormed News will follow this story as it develops.
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What do you think of Dana White as White House press secretary? Tell us in the comments.
Sources: Associated Press via PBS NewsHour, “Trump says he’s asked UFC’s Dana White to be his press secretary” (November 7, 2026); ESPN, “Trump says he’s asked UFC boss Dana White to take over as press secretary” (November 7, 2026); Yahoo Sports, “Donald Trump offers White House press secretary job to UFC CEO Dana White” (November 7, 2026).
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