Trump's new press secretary suggestion: UFC's Dana White?
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President Trump (left) greets UFC CEO Dana White at an event in Las Vegas on Aug. 5. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
President Trump floated an unconventional idea Saturday (that may or may not be a joke) for his next press secretary: UFC CEO Dana White, with a roster of mixed martial arts fighters alongside him.
Why it matters: Days after Republicans suffered a historic midterm beating that cost them control of Congress, Trump might like a team of professional fighters to take on his political opponents as Democrats prepare to investigate his administration.
Driving the news: In a Truth Social post, Trump described White as a "violent Fighter and Warrior" and called on him to bring UFC fighters into White House jobs.
- "We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left," Trump wrote. "Dana, please take the job!"
Social media lit up with posts about the offer, along with a healthy dose of skepticism about whether it was real or just Trump having a laugh.
- The White House has not yet responded to a request for comment. The official White House Rapid Response account reposted Trump's post on X.
- White posted a photo of himself to Instagram standing behind the podium in the White House press room with the caption "On to the next chapter." It was not clear if that was meant to acknowledge the offer, or his acceptance — or merely his participation in a gag.
Between the lines: The unusual suggestion — real or not — comes more than three weeks after Trump ousted his last press secretary, Katie Zacharia, following just five days on the job, leaving one of the White House's most prominent communications positions vacant heading into the election.
- White has been the face of UFC for years and had an instrumental role in connecting Trump with men in the 2024 presidential election.
- White has long insisted he has no interest in politics, but introduced Trump — his friend going back decades — at the 2024 Republican convention and organized the historic UFC Freedom 250 event on the White House lawn last summer.
