# Why Trump wants UFC chief Dana White as his new White House press secretary

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/why-trump-wants-ufc-chief-dana-white-as-his-new-white-house-press-secretary/
- Published: 2026-11-09T00:17:44+00:00
- Original publisher: Al Jazeera (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/11/8/why-trump-wants-ufc-chief-dana-white-as-his-new-white-house-press-secretary?traffic_source=rss
- Topics: Elections, Politics, World

## Key points

- Trump says the White press secretary offer was a joke.
- White and Trump are meeting on Monday.
- AI-generated posts fuelled speculation about the role.

## Summary

Trump has clarified that his suggestion Dana White become White House press secretary was a joke, though the UFC chief is due to meet him on Monday. The exchange has renewed attention on their long-standing alliance, days after Republicans suffered record midterm losses.

White said he already has many jobs and did not confirm taking the role. Both men posted AI-generated images about the idea, including one showing fighters in the briefing room. The press secretary position has been vacant since Katie Zacharia left after five days last month; she had succeeded Karoline Leavitt, who stepped down in August. White helped buy the UFC for $2m in 2001, and it was sold for $4bn in 2016.

## Coverage

- [Al Jazeera: Why Trump wants UFC chief Dana White as his new White House press secretary](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/11/8/why-trump-wants-ufc-chief-dana-white-as-his-new-white-house-press-secretary?traffic_source=rss)
- [Daily Mail: Trump says he was 'only kidding' about naming UFC CEO Dana White as White House press secretary amid hunt for Karoline Leavitt's replacement](https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16276963/Trump-kidding-naming-UFC-CEO-Dana-White-White-House-press-secretary.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490)
- [Fox News: Trump says he was ‘only kidding’ about making Dana White press secretary](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-says-he-only-kidding-about-making-dana-white-press-secretary)
- [New York Post: The other Dana White responds to Trump’s surprise White House press secretary announcement](https://nypost.com/2026/11/08/us-news/other-dana-white-responds-to-trumps-surprise-white-house-press-secretary-announcement/)
- [GB News: Donald Trump says he was 'only kidding' when he offered UFC chief Dana White Press Secretary role](https://www.gbnews.com/politics/us/donald-trump-ufc-dana-white-press-secretary-only-joking)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.