U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that he had offered Dana White, CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and one of his closest friends, the job of White House press secretary. Trump described White as a fighter and warrior and suggested that several UFC stars join him as assistants to defend the administration against what he called the “Lunatic Left.”
“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 wrote on Truth Social. “I have requested that he bring with him assistants, even though some are not from our Country, of Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes, and Kayla Harris.”
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Dana White alongside Trump at the UFC event held on the president’s birthday in June
(Photo: Karyn NISHIMURA / POOL / AFP)
Trump appeared to be referring to former Olympic champion Kayla Harrison when he wrote “Kayla Harris.”
“We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left,” Trump continued. “Dana will be a Press Secretary like none other. Dana, please take the job!”
Trump accompanied the post with an AI-generated image depicting White as White House press secretary, alongside a montage of the mixed martial arts stars mentioned in the post.
It was not clear from the announcement whether White intended to accept the offer, or whether Trump’s message represented a concrete appointment or a more playful public appeal. Trump referred to the position as “Press Secretary of the United States,” though the official title is White House press secretary.
The position has been vacant since Oct. 16, when Katie Zacharia was removed after only five days in the job. Zacharia, who had replaced Karoline Leavitt after her departure, came under scrutiny after her first briefing, during which she appeared nervous and answered only three questions. Questions were later also raised over her presentation of herself as a lawyer despite not having passed the bar exam.
White, 57, is far more than the head of a sports organization. Over the past 25 years, he transformed the UFC from a controversial fringe competition that struggled to secure licenses for its events into one of the world’s largest sports and entertainment businesses.
In 2001, White persuaded brothers Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta to buy the UFC for just $2 million and received a 10% ownership stake. The organization was sold in 2016 for about $4 billion, and its value today is estimated at more than $15 billion.
White with Trump at the UFC event at the White House in June. He built a global sports and entertainment empire
(Photo: Evan Vucci / POOL / AFP)
White and Trump’s relationship dates back to 2001, when many venues refused to host UFC fights out of concern that the violent events would damage their reputations. Trump, then a businessman and Atlantic City casino owner, agreed to host UFC fights at the Trump Taj Mahal. White never forgot the gesture.
He later became one of Trump’s most loyal high-profile supporters, speaking at Republican National Conventions in 2016, 2020 and 2024 and appearing alongside him on election night in 2024.
White’s support went beyond speeches. He helped Trump reach younger male voters through combat sports, social media and podcasts and was involved in efforts to secure the backing of Joe Rogan, the UFC commentator who hosts one of the world’s most popular podcasts.
Their friendship reached another high point in June, when the two organized a UFC event on the White House lawn marking the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence and Trump’s 80th birthday, an unprecedented event for a sports organization at the official residence of an American president.
Khabib Nurmagomedov, right, and Islam Makhachev, whom Trump suggested could join White as ‘assistants.’ Both expressed support for Palestinians after Oct. 7
(Photo: AFP, Reuters)
Among the most notable names Trump proposed as White’s “assistants” were Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov, two Muslim fighters from Russia’s Dagestan region who publicly expressed support for Palestinians after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
Makhachev expressed solidarity with Palestinians after winning a fight in Abu Dhabi in October 2023. “I’m not celebrating the win today because of the crazy things that are happening around the world. Palestine, we stand with you. Stop this, stop this,” he said.
Nurmagomedov, one of the most famous fighters in UFC history who retired undefeated, also raised the war directly with Trump during a UFC event in New Jersey in June 2024. “I know you will stop the war in Palestine,” he told Trump. “We will stop it. I will stop the war,” Trump replied.
White himself has also faced controversy involving the Jewish community. When Israeli fighter Natan Levy was accepted into the UFC in 2020, White said his lawyers and Hollywood agents were especially excited about the arrival of an Israeli fighter.
“These guys have been waiting for a guy from Israel,” White said. The remark drew criticism from some who viewed it as invoking an antisemitic stereotype, though Levy defended White and said he personally knew the people White had been referring to.
White with Trump after his 2024 election victory
(Photo: Reuters)
White took a very different position in January 2025 when American fighter Bryce Mitchell called Adolf Hitler a “good guy,” claimed Jews controlled Germany and denied the Holocaust. White publicly condemned the remarks, noting that Hitler was responsible for the murder of six million Jews and calling him one of the most disgusting and evil human beings in history.
White nevertheless declined to fire Mitchell, arguing that freedom of speech also protected statements he personally despised.
In January 2023, video emerged showing White slapping his wife, Anne, during an altercation at a nightclub in Mexico after she slapped him. White apologized and said there was no justification for what he had done, acknowledging that the criticism directed at him was warranted. Despite calls for his removal, he remained in his position.
In recent years, White has expanded his influence beyond sports. In January 2025, he joined the board of Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, after Mark Zuckerberg selected him as one of its new directors. Zuckerberg, himself an enthusiast of mixed martial arts, praised White’s business abilities.
Dana White with Trump in the Oval Office. White previously said: ‘I have no personal political aspirations’
(Photo: Al Drago / POOL / AFP)
Despite his close relationship with Trump, White has previously said he has no political ambitions. After the 2024 election, when his name was floated for a possible role in the administration, White said Trump was one of his closest friends but added: “I have no personal political aspirations.”
Trump is now asking White to move from UFC press conferences to the White House briefing room, where the reporter asking the questions is not necessarily the person expected to leave bruised.