Trump Offers UFC Chief Dana White the Press Secretary Job

Trump announced on November 7 that he had offered Dana White, the longtime head of the UFC, the job of White House press secretary. In a Truth Social post, Trump also suggested White bring six mixed martial arts figures as assistants: Islam Makhachev, together with Khabib Nurmagomedov; Justin Gaethje and Daniel Cormier; and Amanda Nunes, plus Kayla Harrison, a former two-time Olympic judo champion whom Trump referred to as Kayla Harris.

Trump described the proposed team as a way to defend the administration against the political left. The post included an image of White at the White House briefing-room podium alongside pictures of the fighters. Trump noted that some of the people he named were not from the United States. Makhachev and Nurmagomedov are from Dagestan, Russia, while Nunes is Brazilian.

It was unclear whether Trump intended the offer as a serious appointment. White is a longtime Trump ally and supporter, but is not a fighter; he has headed the UFC since more than two decades ago and has addressed audiences during Trump’s Republican National Convention events.

The announcement came as Trump reshapes his team following Republicans’ losses of both chambers of Congress on November 3. Stephen Miller is set to become White House chief of staff on November 9.

Trump Turns Press Briefing Into a Political Spectacle

A White House communications post should serve the public, not become a stage for political theatrics. Yet on November 7, Trump said he had offered the press secretary job to UFC CEO Dana White and floated a team of six mixed martial arts figures to join him.

Trump framed the proposed lineup as a defense against the political left, and his post featured an image of White at the briefing-room podium. That makes the announcement more than an unusual personnel idea: it casts a government communications role as a partisan fight. White is a longtime Trump ally who has addressed audiences during Trump’s Republican National Convention events, while the fighters named include people from outside the United States.

The administration’s timing adds to the stakes. Trump is reshaping his team after the GOP suffered defeats in each congressional chamber on November 3, with Stephen Miller set to become chief of staff on November 9. Rather than signal a focus on clear public communication after those losses, Trump’s proposal spotlights loyalty and combativeness. It remains unclear whether the offer is serious, but the framing itself puts political confrontation at the center of the job.

Trump Looks to a Trusted Ally for a High-Pressure Role

Trump’s proposal puts a longtime ally forward for one of the administration’s most visible jobs. On November 7, he said he had offered the White House press secretary position to UFC CEO Dana White and suggested six mixed martial arts figures join him as assistants.

The president cast the team as a force to defend the administration against the political left. White has headed the UFC since more than two decades ago and has addressed audiences during Trump’s Republican National Convention events. The post also included an image of White at the White House briefing podium, presenting a forceful answer to the partisan fight Trump says his team faces.

The offer’s seriousness is unclear, and White is not himself a fighter. The proposed assistants include figures from outside the United States, a point Trump acknowledged. The announcement came as Trump resets his team after the GOP suffered defeats in each congressional chamber on November 3; Stephen Miller is due to take over as chief of staff on November 9. A White House communications team built around White would be an unconventional choice, but Trump’s announcement makes clear that he is considering allies for a role at the center of his public message.