Trump Says Dana White Press Secretary Offer Was a Joke
President Donald Trump appeared at the White House briefing room on November 9, 2026, and told reporters he had been joking when he floated UFC chief executive Dana White for the press secretary role. The appearance came nearly a week after Republicans suffered major midterm losses, and Trump also took questions about the war with Iran.
Trump said the idea came up during a difficult news cycle and that he had mentioned it to members of the press as a joke. White then addressed reporters, saying he had “zero political aspirations.” He said Trump called while White was in London for a Zuffa Boxing event, and that the ensuing attention had made the prior day overwhelming.
White said he had not directly turned Trump down. Asked to imagine Trump facing former President Joe Biden in a cage bout, White said Trump was tough but that the contest would be a mismatch.
White faced a separate question about his guidance for Trump on a possible posthumous pardon for baseball star Pete Rose, who died in 2024. Rose had been barred from Hall of Fame eligibility after betting on baseball, including games involving the Cincinnati Reds. In 2025, MLB chief Rob Manfred took Rose and 16 other people who had died off the permanently barred list. Trump reiterated that he supports pardoning Rose.
Trump’s White House Briefing Turns to a Joke About Dana White
Nearly a week after Republicans’ major midterm losses, President Donald Trump appeared in the White House briefing room on November 9, 2026, and explained that his suggestion to make UFC chief Dana White press secretary had been a joke. Trump also took questions about the war with Iran, while the briefing gave White a turn at the podium.
Trump said he had raised White’s name during a difficult news cycle and that the press took the remark as a serious offer. White said he had “zero political aspirations.” He said Trump called him in London, where he was attending a Zuffa Boxing event, and that the attention since then had been overwhelming.
White said he had never directly told Trump no. Asked to consider a cage bout between Trump and former President Joe Biden, he said Trump was tough but that the contest would be a mismatch.
The briefing also touched on Trump’s support for a posthumous pardon for Pete Rose, who died in 2024. Rose was barred from Hall of Fame eligibility after betting on baseball, including Reds games. In 2025, MLB chief Rob Manfred took Rose and 16 other people who had died off the permanently barred list. The episode placed a celebrity sports executive and a baseball pardon discussion alongside questions about Iran and the fallout from Republicans’ election losses.
Trump Clarifies Dana White Remark as a Joke at White House Briefing
President Donald Trump used a White House briefing on November 9, 2026, to clear up a remark that had fueled speculation: his suggestion that UFC CEO Dana White become press secretary was a joke, he said. Trump appeared nearly a week after major Republican midterm losses and also faced questions about the war with Iran.
Trump said he had mentioned White during a difficult news cycle but had not meant the comment as an actual appointment offer. White appeared alongside him and said he had “zero political aspirations.” He said Trump called while he was in London for a Zuffa Boxing event, and that the reaction had made the last day unusually hectic.
White said he had not explicitly rejected the position. He called Trump exceptionally tough when asked to assess a hypothetical cage bout between Trump and former President Joe Biden, while saying the matchup itself would be bad.
White also responded to a question about what Trump might do regarding a possible posthumous pardon for Pete Rose. Trump reiterated his support for pardoning the baseball great, who died in 2024. Rose had been barred from Hall of Fame eligibility over betting on baseball, including games involving his own team; in 2025, MLB chief Rob Manfred took Rose and 16 other people who had died off the permanently barred list.
Reported by The Daily Wire, Fox News, Yahoo News, CBS News, Newsweek, BBC, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Raw Story, Breitbart, Business Insider.
