Dana White job offer was a joke, claims Donald Trump

Dana White definitely won't be swapping the fight business for the White House briefing room after Donald Trump claimed that his offer to make the Zuffa Boxing boss his press secretary was made in jest.

White, who made his name as the head of the UFC, was publicly offered the position by the US president on Saturday, prompting speculation that the 57-year-old would be working closely with the president.

Trump took to his Truth Social platform to announce that White had been offered the role, even suggesting that several current and former MMA fighters could join him as assistants.

"Dana will be a Press Secretary like none other," Trump wrote. "We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left."

He finished his message with a plea: "Dana, please take the job!"

White, a longtime friend and supporter of Trump, was subsequently asked about the offer following his Zuffa show in London on Saturday. Though he confirmed that he was due to meet the president in Washington on Monday, he stopped short of dismissing the possibility of accepting the position.

The UFC president instead pointed out that he already had a "lot of jobs" before adding: "I'm sure we'll have something to talk about after that."

By Sunday, however, Trump had poured cold water on the prospect of White joining his administration.

"I will tell you, I was only kidding," Trump told reporters. "But Dana loves the idea. And there's only one Dana. He's great.

"But it was just a little fun."

Trump explained that White's scheduled visit to Washington was for "other reasons", rather than to discuss a potential appointment.

White has been a prominent figure in Trump's political circle for more than a decade. He spoke in support of Trump at the Republican National Conventions in 2016, 2020 and 2024, and joined him on stage following his presidential election victory two years ago.

He also sits on the board of Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

The press secretary position has been vacant since Katie Zacharia resigned in October, less than five days after taking over from Karoline Leavitt.

These latest developments follow a difficult week for Trump’s administration, with the Republicans losing control of both houses of Congress in the midterm elections.