Dana White has spent years fielding questions from reporters, sometimes turning those exchanges into confrontations. His longtime friendship with Donald Trump has unfolded alongside that combative relationship with the media. Now, the president wants to give those exchanges a different purpose.
US President Donald Trump has asked UFC CEO Dana White to become the White House press secretary, publicly urging his longtime friend to accept the position in a Truth Social post on Saturday. The president also suggested that White bring several prominent UFC fighters along to help defend his administration.
“Dana will be a Press Secretary like none other,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Dana, please take the job!”
“President Donald Trump said he offered UFC CEO Dana White the White House press secretary position in a Truth Social post Saturday. White has not publicly addressed the offer, and UFC has not responded to a request for comment,” The Athletic reported on X.
Alongside the job offer, Trump described White as “a violent Fighter and Warrior” and shared photographs of six UFC fighters. He asked the UFC executive to bring the fighters into the administration, including some he described as “not from our Country.”
“We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left,” Trump wrote, framing the proposed involvement of the fighters as a way to defend his administration.
After the President’s announcement, White shared an Instagram image depicting himself standing behind the podium in the White House press briefing room. He captioned it, “On to the next chapter.” However, White did not explicitly confirm whether he was accepting the offer or posting in jest.
The White House press secretary position has been vacant since mid-October, following Katie Zacharia’s departure after just a few days in the role. Trump’s post also came after Republicans lost their congressional majorities in the US midterm elections.
White and Trump have maintained a relationship since the UFC’s early years. In 2001, White and his business partners purchased the struggling promotion for $2 million, when mixed martial arts faced significant opposition across the United States.
In 1996, Republican Senator John McCain famously labelled the sport “human cockfighting,” contributing to bans in 36 US states. White later credited Trump with helping the UFC secure venues by hosting two events at the Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 2001.
With White yet to respond to Trump’s public invitation, it remains unclear whether the UFC chief will take up the White House position. Meanwhile, his history with journalists and his longstanding association with Trump offer further context to the president’s choice.
Dana White’s History With Journalists and Trump’s Early UFC Support
According to the BBC, Dana White has had several confrontations with journalists covering the UFC, including disputes over the promotion’s events and media access. His past exchanges with reporters also provide context to his possible move into the White House press briefing room.
White also pushed back against media criticism in 2020, releasing a video after journalists raised concerns about the UFC continuing to stage fights during the pandemic.
An earlier confrontation came in 2009, when White responded to reporting about changes in UFC event media access with an explicit video that included an anti-gay slur.
White also discussed the promotion’s struggles to find event locations during a 2025 interview with CBS.
“None of the venues wanted [the UFC],” White told CBS. “They didn’t believe in it. They didn’t like it, and they were worried about the type of crowd that would show up for this type of event.”
His association with Trump’s political activities also included appearances as a speaker at the 2016, 2020 and 2024 Republican National Conventions.
White’s history with journalists and his longstanding association with Trump form part of the background to the president’s public offer. However, the UFC executive has yet to confirm whether he will accept the proposed position.