US President Donald Trump says his offer to make Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) chief Dana White the next White House press secretary was never serious, despite publicly urging his longtime friend to take the job.
“I was only kidding, but Dana loves the idea,” Mr Trump told reporters on the tarmac at his namesake airport in Florida.
The high-profile press secretary post has remained vacant since Katie Zacharia left on 16 October, less than a week after taking office.
Katie Zacharia was ‘let go’ after facing scrutiny over her credentials
Mr White, 57, is the president and chief executive of the UFC and has maintained a close relationship with Mr Trump for years.
His organisation staged a bloody cage fight on the White House South Lawn on Mr Trump’s 80th birthday in June. Mr White also joined the president on stage during his 2024 re-election victory speech.
On Saturday, Mr Trump used social media to press Mr White to accept the offer, writing: “Dana, please take the job!” He described the UFC executive as a “violent fighter and warrior”.
Donald Trump and Dana White at the ‘UFC Freedom 250’ event
Mr Trump even proposed that Mr White bring several fighters with him as assistants, including three who were not American citizens.
Speaking yesterday, Mr Trump said the reference to fighters “from parts unknown” should have made clear that the proposal was a joke.
“Of course I was kidding, and you could see that because I put all of the great fighters as his assistants,” Mr Trump said.
He added that he was still due to meet Mr White today.
