KEY FACTS
- Nov. 7, 2026: President Donald Trump offered UFC president and CEO Dana White the White House press secretary job in a Truth Social post.
- The twist: Trump also asked White to bring six UFC fighters as assistants — including Khabib Nurmagomedov, Amanda Nunes, and Daniel Cormier.
- The latest: CNN reported later on Saturday, citing a source familiar with the matter, that White has declined the offer.
- What is next: TMZ reports White will still meet Trump in the Oval Office on Monday to talk it over.
Dana White’s next fight may not take place inside the Octagon at all. On Saturday, November 7, President Donald Trump offered the UFC chief the job of White House press secretary. He also asked him to bring six of the sport’s biggest names along as his team. The Dana White press secretary offer set social media alight within minutes. However, by Saturday evening, the story had already taken its first twist.
Trump’s post landed out of nowhere. Yet the job at the center of it is very real. The White House press secretary post has sat empty since October 16, when Katie Zacharia left after only five days. Now the president wants the most famous promoter in combat sports to fill it.
What Trump Actually Offered Dana White
Trump made the offer in a post on Truth Social, his social media platform. “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,” he wrote. He then asked White to bring six assistants with him, “even though some are not from our Country.”
The list read like a UFC Hall of Fame ballot: Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes, and “Kayla Harris” — an apparent reference to two-division champion Kayla Harrison. “We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left,” Trump added. “Dana will be a Press Secretary like none other. Dana, please take the job!”
White House communications director Steven Cheung cheered the idea online. “Hell yeah! Do it, @DanaWhite!” he wrote, sharing Trump’s post.
Dana White at a UFC event in London in 2015. Photo: Andrius Petrucenia, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Did Dana White Accept the Press Secretary Job?
White has not confirmed or denied anything in public so far. Instead, he answered with a joke of his own. On Instagram, the 57-year-old posted a photoshopped image of himself at the White House podium. He captioned it, “On to the next chapter.” He also shared a screenshot of Trump’s post in an Instagram Story.
Meanwhile, CNN reported later on Saturday, citing a source familiar with the matter, that White has declined the offer. One aide told the network that Trump was joking about the idea. As a result, the picture remains unclear.
TMZ added another wrinkle. The outlet reported that White will meet Trump in the Oval Office on Monday to talk things over. White spent Saturday night in London for a boxing match. At a news conference earlier in the day, he would neither confirm nor deny the offer. He said only that he would meet the president on Monday. In short, the reported “no” may not be final yet.
Why Trump Picked Dana White
The offer may sound wild, but the friendship behind it goes back about 25 years. Trump hosted early UFC events at his Atlantic City casino when the promotion was struggling to survive. White has never forgotten it, and he has returned the loyalty many times over. He endorsed Trump in 2016 and spoke at three Republican National Conventions.
The bond has only grown closer this year. In June, the UFC staged UFC Freedom 250 on the White House South Lawn. It was the first UFC event ever held at the White House. Trump sat ringside, and White stood beside him.
White is one of the president’s most prominent supporters in sports. CelebWatch covered their alliance during the 2024 campaign. So when the job fell open, Trump turned to a friend he trusts.
Donald Trump with Dana White and others at a UFC event in 2024. Photo: Office of Speaker Mike Johnson, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
The Six Fighters Trump Wants at the Podium
Trump’s proposed backup team is a mix of legends and current stars. Here is who he named — and why each one matters:
| Fighter | Why Trump picked them |
|---|---|
| Islam Makhachev | Former lightweight champion and one of the sport’s top pound-for-pound fighters |
| Khabib Nurmagomedov | Retired undefeated lightweight champion, 29-0, and Makhachev’s mentor |
| Justin Gaethje | Former interim lightweight champion and one of the UFC’s most exciting fighters |
| Daniel Cormier | Former two-division champion, now a leading UFC broadcaster |
| Amanda Nunes | Widely regarded as the greatest female fighter of all time |
| Kayla Harrison | Two-division champion — Trump wrote “Kayla Harris” in his post |
Two of the six — Makhachev and Nurmagomedov — are from Russia’s Dagestan region. Nunes is Brazilian-born and became a United States citizen last year. Trump flagged the mix himself. The lineup would make for an unusual briefing room, to say the least.
Amanda Nunes, one of the six fighters Trump named, at the UFC 269 ceremonial weigh-ins. Photo: MMAnytt, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
A Job That Needs No Senate Vote — and Has Sat Empty for Weeks
Here is one detail that makes the offer more than a joke: the press secretary job needs no Senate confirmation. A yes from White would be enough for him to start. That is part of why the idea spread so fast — on paper, it could actually happen.
The vacancy has also dragged on. Zacharia’s exit on October 16 left the briefing room without a regular face for three weeks. Her five-day tenure set a record for speed, beating Anthony Scaramucci’s 11 days in Trump’s first term. So the White House has a real gap to fill.
What’s Next for the Dana White Press Secretary Story?
Monday is the date to watch. If White walks into the Oval Office and says no in person, the search for a press secretary starts again. On the other hand, if the meeting is real, the sports world could gain a very strange new storyline.
Either way, the episode says a lot about how close Trump and the UFC have become. A president offering his friend a West Wing job — with a fight team in tow — would have sounded absurd a decade ago. Today it reads like the next chapter of a partnership that put the Octagon on the White House lawn. Like Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren’s surprise reunion today, it shows the biggest stories of 2026 keep arriving from unexpected places.
For now, the ball is in Dana White’s court. The UFC boss built his career on saying yes to big moments. But this one comes with a podium, a press corps, and no referee. Elsewhere today, Salma Hayek was honored at the WIF Honors.
Sources
- TheWrap — “Trump Names UFC Chief Dana White as New Press Secretary”
- Reuters — “Trump says he wants UFC chief Dana White for White House press secretary”
- JustJared — “Donald Trump Offers UFC President Dana White Press Secretary Role: ‘Please Take the Job!'”
