Donald Trump wants Dana White as his new press secretary

Taking on boxing is one thing. Going toe to toe with the Washington press corps is something else entirely.

Yet, President Trump floated the idea Saturday of hiring Zuffa Boxing head and UFC CEO/President Dana White as his new press secretary following the disastrous, brief appearance of predecessor Katie Zacharia.

“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,” Trump posted on his Truth Social account. “... Dana will be a press secretary like no other. Dana, please take the job.”

White said after staging the Cheavon Clarke-Chris Billam-Smith card in London Saturday that he was headed to Washington for a Monday meeting, implying he was going to meet with Trump regarding the position.

“We have a meeting on Monday, so I’m sure I’ll have more to talk about after that,” White told reporters.

Long-time friends with Trump after the pair met in the UFC’s early days, White spoke for Trump at the 2016, 2020 and 2024 Republican National Conventions and then staged a UFC card on the White House lawn over the summer.

Trump has attended several UFC cards and credited White for reaching a younger audience while also appearing on UFC commentator Joe Rogan’s popular podcast.

But following the crushing midterm results, with the Democrats taking over the House and Senate majorities, Trump has vowed to shake up his staff, hiring lightning-rod Stephen Miller as his new chief of staff and now floating White as a possible addition.

Zacharia lasted only five days as the replacement for Karoline Leavitt, appearing scripted and unprepared.

White has said he’s supported Trump mostly as a friend, saying their politics are not entirely aligned – a claim that has drawn deep skepticism.

Trump cracked that he would want White to retain some fighters to impose his beliefs.

"We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left," Trump said.

With the UFC, White has cozied up to reporters providing favorable coverage and softball questions, as his staff usually allows them to open post-fight news conferences with a string of questions that often address preferred talking points.

That has continued with this year’s debut of Zuffa Boxing.

Conversely, White has verbally battled and, in some cases, banned other reporters with whom he’s disagreed or who have provided unflattering coverage.

That type of manipulation or thin skin will be quickly confronted by the respected members of the press corps, including CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, ABC’s Jonathan Karl and Mary Bruce, and NBC’s Peter Alexander.

Recently, White’s most contentious battle has been with Matchroom Boxing head Eddie Hearn, who insisted his fighter Anthony Joshua would fight fellow two-time heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in their native U.K. – not Madison Square Garden – and that White would not be involved in the promotion despite his closeness with Zuffa Boxing’s 60 per cent owner, Saudi Arabian boxing financier Turki Alalshikh.

Hall of Fame boxer Oscar De La Hoya has also routinely torched White on his “Clapback Thursday” social-media episodes, and De La Hoya would certainly be happy to be retained as a special correspondent to pepper White with queries that would potentially raise his rival’s ire.