President Donald Trump apparently offered UFC CEO Dana White the White House press secretary job in a Saturday Truth Social post.
With the briefing room podium vacant for weeks, the offer raises two pressing questions — was Trump serious, and did the UFC boss say yes?
Trump called White “a violent Fighter and Warrior” and asked him to bring fellow UFC stars along as aides, naming Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier and Amanda Nunes. Their job, Trump said, would be to “defend us against the Lunatic Left,” according to CNBC.
The vacancy dates to mid-October. Katie Zacharia lasted roughly five days in the job, the shortest tenure in modern history, according to Axios. Before her, Karoline Leavitt resigned in late August supposedly to spend more time with her family. Leavitt, 27 when she started in January 2025, was the youngest press secretary ever.
Trump has now cycled through six press secretaries in two terms. Sean Spicer served about 182 days in 2017. Sarah Huckabee Sanders lasted from July 2017 to July 2019, Stephanie Grisham from July 2019 to April 2020 (she never held a traditional briefing) and Kayleigh McEnany to January 2021. Four of the six, Zacharia included, lasted less than a year.
Dana White Reaction and Timeline of Reports
White, who was in London for a Zuffa Boxing event Saturday, answered with an Instagram Story showing himself at the White House press podium. He captioned it “On to the next chapter,” according to a Yahoo Sports report.
A source familiar with the matter told CNN around 4:10 p.m. ET that White had declined, and an aide said Trump was joking about the offer. ESPN and other outlets reported the same account.
But the reports of White’s decline of the job may have been greatly exaggerated.
Later on Saturday, White spoke at a Zuffa Boxing press conference. “I’m flying to Washington, D.C. right now,” he said, as quoted by Sports Business Journal‘s Adam Stern. A meeting is reportedly set for Monday.
So did White decline? Reports conflict. CNN’s source says yes, while White’s own words point to a sit-down in Washington. The White House and UFC did not immediately offer clear confirmation, according to the Associated Press.
Whether Trump was joking is just as confusing. White House communications director Steven Cheung reposted the offer with the comment “Hell yeah! Do it, @DanaWhite!” according to CNN.
Dana White Net Worth, Career and Trump Ties
White, 57, was born in Manchester, Connecticut, and graduated from Hermon High School in Maine in 1987. He worked as a hotel bellman and boxing fitness instructor before managing UFC fighters Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell.
In 2001, White teamed with casino heirs Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta to form Zuffa LLC, which bought the struggling UFC for about $2 million. White received an equity stake reported at 9% to 10% and the title of president. A WME-IMG-led group bought the UFC in 2016 for roughly $4 billion, with White’s share reportedly worth $300 million to $360 million before taxes.
He became CEO after the 2023 merger with WWE created a new entity, TKO Group Holdings. White also runs Power Slap and Zuffa Boxing.
His net worth was estimated at more than $600 million in early 2025, and one detailed 2026 model puts it at $514 million.
White and Trump have been friends for roughly two decades, a relationship that included a 2026 UFC card on the White House South Lawn, according to Forbes.
UFC Boss Dana White Reacts to President Donald Trump’s Surprising Offer