Dana White has broken his silence after being offered the job of White House press secretary by Donald Trump, revealing he is flying to Washington, DC, immediately and will meet the president face-to-face on Monday.
The UFC boss chuckled when questioned about the extraordinary offer by a reporter in London on Saturday, before declaring: ‘I’m flying to Washington, DC, right now.’
White, 57, refused to reveal whether he had already discussed the position with Trump but confirmed he would be meeting his longtime friend at the White House.
‘I’m sure we’ll have more to talk about after that,’ he teased, keeping speculation swirling over whether he could actually become the administration’s next chief spokesperson.
His comments come after conflicting reports emerged over whether White was seriously considering the job or had already rejected the president’s offer.
TMZ reported that the fight promoter would meet Trump in the Oval Office on Monday to discuss the position, citing sources with direct knowledge of the planned meeting.
But CNN claimed White had already turned down the unorthodox proposal, according to a source familiar with the matter, while one White House aide suggested Trump had been joking.
Now White’s confirmation that he is heading to Washington has added another twist to the saga, although he has stopped short of saying whether he intends to accept the role.
Dana White has broken his silence after being offered the job of White House press secretary by Donald Trump, revealing he is flying to Washington DC immediately and will meet the president face-to-face on Monday
Dana White has been a longtime ally of Donald Trump, helping the president connect with younger male voters during his 2024 campaign
Trump made the job offer on Truth Social, urging White to accept and suggesting he bring several UFC fighters as assistants
The conflicting accounts come only hours after Trump publicly begged his longtime friend and political ally to take the job, even suggesting he bring a team of UFC fighters to help him take on the ‘Lunatic Left.’
It remains unclear whether the president’s bizarre proposal was entirely serious, with one White House aide telling CNN that Trump was joking.
The drama comes as Trump scrambles to fill one of the most high-profile jobs in his administration following the disastrous five-day tenure of Katie Zacharia, who was fired after just one rocky press briefing.
The position has taken on even greater importance following the Republicans’ crushing midterm election defeat, which handed Democrats control of both chambers of Congress and the power to investigate the administration.
White, who was in London on Saturday for a boxing event, has not publicly confirmed whether he intends to accept the job.
Katie Zacharia was fired as White House press secretary after just five days in the role, following a rocky debut briefing
TMZ reported that Monday’s meeting was expected to take place despite CNN’s account that he had already rejected the offer.
Trump made the offer on Truth Social on Saturday, writing: ‘I am pleased to announce that the Great Dana White, a violent Fighter and Warrior, has been offered the job of Press Secretary of the United States.’
But the president went further, proposing that White bring an extraordinary collection of mixed martial arts stars to Washington as his assistants.
‘I have requested that he bring with him assistants, even though some are not from our Country, of Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes, and Kayla Harris,’ Trump wrote, apparently referring to UFC star Kayla Harrison in the final name.
‘We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left. Dana will be a Press Secretary like none other. Dana, please take the job!’
The message immediately raised questions about whether Trump was making a genuine employment offer or simply having fun with his close friend.
White appeared willing to play along, reposting Trump’s announcement on Instagram and sharing an image of himself standing behind the White House briefing room podium
Dana White President and CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship is seen speaking to the media in London this weekend
Dana White is seen ringside during this weekend’s boxing match in London
White appeared willing to play along, reposting Trump’s announcement on Instagram and sharing an image of himself standing behind the White House briefing room podium.
‘On to the next chapter,’ he wrote alongside the picture, without explaining whether he was accepting the offer or joining in the joke.
White House communications director Steven Cheung also enthusiastically backed the idea, reposting Trump’s announcement with the message: ‘Hell yeah! Do it, @DanaWhite!’
The president’s interest in White comes amid a chaotic search for a replacement for Zacharia, whose spectacularly brief stint in the job ended last month.
She was dismissed after just five days, leaving the White House scrambling to find someone capable of handling the relentless scrutiny of the Washington press corps.
Her predecessor, Karoline Leavitt, had served for approximately 18 months before departing in August to spend more time with her young family. She subsequently joined Fox News as a contributor.
The search has produced some surprising names, with White House staffers even reportedly floating rapper Nicki Minaj as a possible candidate shortly before the midterm elections.
White, meanwhile, has spent years building one of Trump’s closest relationships outside politics.
The search has produced some surprising names, with White House staffers even reportedly floating rapper Nicki Minaj as a possible candidate shortly before the midterm elections
White has spent years building one of Trump’s closest relationships outside politics. The pair are seen at the ‘UFC Freedom 250’ MMA event on the South Lawn of the White House in June
The White House personnel shake-up has reached the very top of Trump’s administration. On Friday, he ousted longtime chief of staff Susie Wiles, left
The UFC chief has spoken at the last three Republican National Conventions and played a significant role in connecting Trump with younger male audiences during his successful 2024 presidential campaign.
Trump has previously credited White with introducing him to an entirely different generation of voters.
‘He introduced me to people I never heard of, young kids,’ the president said earlier this year.
‘I mean, I was being interviewed by 20-year-old kids. I’m saying, “Where the hell did you meet these people?” They’re called influencers.’
That relationship reached new heights in June, when Trump hosted a UFC event on the White House lawn as part of celebrations marking America’s 250th anniversary.
However, the president’s efforts to maintain his appeal among young men suffered a setback during Tuesday’s midterms, with the demographic shifting toward Democrats.
The White House personnel shake-up has also reached the very top of Trump’s administration.
On Friday, he ousted longtime chief of staff Susie Wiles and announced that hardline adviser Stephen Miller would replace her beginning Monday.
‘I’ll be doing maybe a few changes,’ Trump told CBS News on Friday.
