President Donald Trump has offered UFC President and CEO Dana White the job of White House press secretary, turning to a longtime friend and political ally as his administration goes through another senior staffing change. Trump announced the offer Saturday, November 7, in a post on Truth Social, but White has not said that he will take the position.
White said while attending a boxing event in London that he plans to fly to Washington and meet with Trump at the White House on Monday. He stopped short of saying whether he was seriously considering joining the administration, noting that he already has several jobs and responsibilities. The Associated Press reported that White declined to discuss the details of any earlier conversations with Trump about the position.
Trump described White as a fighter and said he believed the longtime combat sports executive could bring a different approach to the White House briefing room. The president also suggested that several current and former UFC champions could serve as assistants, naming Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes.
The proposal was announced at a time of significant turnover inside the White House. The press secretary position has been vacant since Katie Zacharia left in October after serving for five days. She had succeeded Karoline Leavitt, who left the administration at the end of August. The rapid departures have left the administration without a permanent official in a role that normally handles daily media questions and communicates the president’s message.
Reuters and the Associated Press both reported that White had been offered the job and had agreed to meet with Trump. Neither report said White had accepted the position, making the Monday meeting the next important step in determining whether the unusual appointment will move forward.
White is not a former UFC president, as some early descriptions of the story suggested. He remains president and chief executive officer of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and continues to oversee the organization’s business operations. Meta also lists White as a member of its board of directors, a position he joined in late 2024 and that the company publicly announced in January 2025.
A relationship built through UFC
The relationship between Trump and White stretches back more than two decades. UFC has said that Trump’s Atlantic City casino hosted events when the mixed martial arts organization was still struggling to establish itself in the early 2000s. One of those events was UFC 30 in 2001 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, shortly after Zuffa purchased the promotion.
White later became a prominent public supporter of Trump and spoke on his behalf at Republican political events. Their ties have remained visible during Trump’s second term, with Trump attending UFC events and White appearing with the president at major sporting and political gatherings.
The relationship reached a particularly visible point on June 14, when UFC Freedom 250 was staged on the South Lawn of the White House. Official White House photographs show Trump and White walking together from the Oval Office toward the octagon for the event.
The White House described Freedom 250 as a mixed martial arts event produced by UFC and held as part of celebrations surrounding the nation’s 250th anniversary and Trump’s 80th birthday. The event reinforced how closely Trump has connected his public image with UFC and combat sports.
White has also repeatedly described Trump as a friend while maintaining a major role in UFC and expanding into other combat sports ventures. If White accepted the press secretary job, he would move from sports promotion into one of the most public positions in the federal government.
The press secretary serves as a principal spokesperson for the president and regularly fields questions from reporters about administration policy, presidential decisions and developing events. White has years of experience handling media appearances and contentious UFC press conferences, but he has not previously held a government communications position.
White House staff changes continue
The offer also comes during a broader reshuffling of Trump’s senior staff after the 2026 midterm elections. Trump announced Friday that Stephen Miller would become White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles.
Miller is expected to begin in the role Monday, the same day White has said he will meet with the president. Reuters reported that the staffing changes followed Republican losses in the midterms, which shifted the political environment facing the White House.
Trump’s suggestion that UFC fighters could assist White appeared to be part of the combative language in his social media announcement. There has been no indication that any of the six fighters named by Trump have been formally offered White House jobs or that they have agreed to serve in the administration.
One name in the original account also required correction. Trump named former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison, not “Kayla Harris.” Harrison is among the most prominent women in combat sports and has appeared at UFC events attended by Trump.
White’s possible appointment would be unusual because his career has been centered on sports promotion rather than government communications. He has, however, spent years speaking publicly on behalf of UFC, handling contentious press conferences and promoting some of the company’s largest events.
The White House communications operation also already has a UFC connection. Reuters noted that Communications Director Steven Cheung previously worked for the organization.
For now, the White House press secretary position remains vacant. White’s meeting with Trump on Monday is expected to clarify whether the president’s public offer will become a formal appointment or remain a proposal between two longtime allies.