Trump Offers Dana White White House Press Secretary Job as UFC Chief Flies to Washington

President Donald Trump has offered UFC president and chief executive Dana White the job of White House press secretary, in the second dramatic staff move of a weekend reshuffle that has already seen Stephen Miller named chief of staff. Trump made the offer in a Truth Social post on Saturday 7 November 2026, writing: “Dana will be a Press Secretary like none other. Dana, please take the job!”

White, 57, told reporters at a boxing press conference in London later the same day that he was heading straight to Washington. “I’m flying to Washington DC, right now,” he said, adding that he would meet Trump on Monday 9 November to discuss the offer. Whether he will accept it remains unconfirmed, and conflicting reports have left the seriousness of the offer in doubt.

Dana White Press Secretary Offer — Key Facts at a Glance

A Saturday Post That Named Six Fighters as Well

Trump’s post did more than offer White the job. The president asked White to bring six current and former UFC title holders with him as “assistants”, even though some are not from the United States. The names listed were Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov of Russia’s Dagestan region, Americans Justin Gaethje and Daniel Cormier, Brazilian Amanda Nunes, and Kayla Harrison, whom Trump spelled “Kayla Harris” in his post.

“We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left,” Trump wrote. The president has not explained what roles the fighters would hold, and some government positions require United States citizenship, a point Trump himself acknowledged in the post. None of the six fighters has publicly commented on the proposal.

The offer came three days after Republicans lost control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections on Tuesday 3 November 2026. A day earlier, on Friday 6 November, Trump named Stephen Miller as chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles in the most significant staff shake-up of his second term.

Why the Briefing Room Has Stood Empty

The press secretary’s job has been vacant since Katie Zacharia left the role last month after only five days, the shortest tenure of any White House press secretary. Her predecessor, Karoline Leavitt, resigned in August 2026. The vacancy has left the administration without its public face at a moment of intense scrutiny, with Democrats preparing to take control of Congress in January 2027.

Trump and White are long-standing allies. White, a prominent Trump supporter and donor, has appeared alongside the president at UFC events, and in June 2026 the two men walked out together at a UFC card held on the White House South Lawn. The UFC’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings, reported revenue of $519.2 million in the third quarter of 2026, according to USA Today.

White has never held a government job and has never stood at the White House podium. On Saturday he posted a photograph of himself at the podium, without confirming whether he would take the role.

Conflicting Reports Leave the Offer in Doubt

The clearest question hanging over the story is whether Trump meant it. CNN reported that White had turned the job down, citing a source familiar with the matter, while a White House source told the network that Trump was joking about the offer. The White House did not respond to a request for comment from USA Today.

Al Jazeera reported that White said he would meet Trump at the White House on Monday to discuss the offer, a version of events that leaves the door open. White himself declined to give specifics at the London press conference, saying only: “I’m sure I’ll have more to talk about after that.”

Trump is known for sharing satirical content on his social media platform, and USA Today noted that it remains unclear whether White is seriously being considered for the post. Until Monday’s meeting, the offer sits somewhere between a genuine appointment and a public joke — and the president’s own post is the only official record of it.

What Monday’s Meeting Could Decide

Three outcomes are now possible. White could accept the job and become the most unconventional press secretary in White House history, bringing a fight promoter’s style to the briefing room. He could decline, leaving the vacancy open and the administration to look elsewhere after two failed appointments in three months. Or the meeting could confirm that the offer was never serious, and that Trump was using it to signal loyalty to an ally after a bruising election defeat.

The answer matters beyond the briefing room. The press secretary is the administration’s daily public voice, and the role has become a lightning rod since the midterms, with Democrats preparing investigations and the president’s team under pressure. Trump has already ruled out firing Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth after the midterm defeat, keeping his closest loyalists in place while the shake-up continues around them.

For now, the only certainty is the flight. White is on his way to Washington, and on Monday the president and the UFC chief will sit down together. What they agree — and whether the fighters named in the post are ever mentioned again — will decide whether this weekend’s offer becomes one of the strangest appointments in American political history or a footnote to a difficult week for the White House.

Frequently Asked Questions

Has Dana White accepted the press secretary job? No. White has not said whether he will accept. He said he is flying to Washington and will meet President Donald Trump on Monday 9 November 2026 to discuss the offer.

Did Trump really offer Dana White the job? Yes, in a Truth Social post on Saturday 7 November 2026. Trump wrote that White had “been offered the job of Press Secretary of the United States” and added: “Dana, please take the job!”

Who are the six fighters Trump named? Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harrison. Trump asked White to bring them as “assistants”, even though some are not from the United States.

Has Dana White turned the job down? That is disputed. CNN reported, citing a source familiar with the matter, that White had declined the offer. A White House source told the network that Trump was joking. White himself has not confirmed either version.

Why is the press secretary job vacant? Katie Zacharia left the role in October 2026 after only five days, the shortest tenure of any White House press secretary. Her predecessor, Karoline Leavitt, resigned in August 2026.

Does Dana White have any government experience? No. White has never held a government job. He is the president and chief executive of the UFC and a long-standing Trump ally and donor.

Myth-Busting

Myth: Dana White is already the White House press secretary. False. Trump offered him the job; an offer is not an appointment. White has not confirmed he will accept, and no start date has been named.

Myth: The six fighters named by Trump will join the White House staff. Not publicly verified. Trump asked White to bring them as “assistants”, but none of the six has commented, and some government roles require United States citizenship.

Myth: Trump was definitely joking. Not confirmed. A White House source told CNN the president was joking, but White is flying to Washington for a meeting on Monday, and the White House has not officially described the offer as a joke.