November 9, 2026Updated November 10, 2026, 8:46 a.m. ET
During a Nov. 9 White House press conference with President Donald Trump, Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White turned down Trump’s offer to become White House press secretary, saying he didn’t “want to get into politics.”
“The last 24 hours of my life have been crazy,” White said.
Trump announced that he had offered White the job in a November 7 Truth Social article, but said a day later that he was “joking” about the offer.
“We had a really bad press day,” Trump told reporters on November 9. “I said, ‘I think I’m going to get Dana White to be our next press secretary.’ The president added that he thought White would be “fantastic” in the role.
White told reporters in London that he was flying to Washington, D.C., to meet with Trump on November 7, the same day Trump made the announcement in a Truth Social message. White posted a photo of himself at the White House podium after the publication, but quickly returned to promoting UFC fights.
The UFC CEO is a longtime friend of Trump’s and has hosted him at fights over the years, including at the UFC’s Freedom 250 event on the White House lawn in June to celebrate the president’s birthday. He introduced the president at a Las Vegas rally in August and has previously spoken at the 2016 and 2024 Republican National Conventions, introducing Trump at the latter.
White’s appearance follows Republican defeats in the midterm elections and Trump’s low approval ratings.
The White House press secretary position has been vacant since Katie Zacharia left after just five days on the job in October. Zacharia followed Karoline Leavitt, who left the role in August following the birth of her second child.
Contributors: Emily R. Condon and Jesse Yomtov, USA TODAY; Reuters
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