Trump says he was "only kidding" about offering Dana White the press secretary job
Donald Trump said on November 8, 2026, that he "was only kidding" when he announced the day before that he had offered the White House press secretary job to Dana White, according to The Guardian. White is the chief executive of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts organisation, where fighters compete in a sport that combines several combat disciplines.
Trump made the clarification to reporters in Florida before he departed, CTV News reported. He said: "I was kidding, but I think Dana likes the idea, and he is a very capable guy."
The press secretary is the official who speaks to reporters on the White House's behalf, often in the briefing room. The post had been vacant for three weeks as of November 8, after Katie Zacharia resigned.
Trump's joke, as he described it, rested on a picture of White standing at the briefing room podium flanked by six fighters. He said reporters "wouldn't mess around with him so much" in that setting. The Washington Post reported that Trump said the detail about White bringing fighters was meant to signal that the offer was a joke.
Trump also posted an animated video showing White's UFC staff beating up members of the press in the briefing room, according to the Washington Examiner. The video closes with an animated Trump peeking into the briefing room and seeing White behind the podium with six others. Yahoo News reported that Trump promoted the video less than 24 hours after the press secretary offer was announced.
