Trump wanted UFC boss Dana White as White House press secretary, but he said no

Donald Trump asked UFC chief Dana White to become White House press secretary and bring six fighters as assistants. White declined the proposal as the high-profile communications post remained vacant.

In Short

• Trump wanted UFC chief Dana White as White House press secretary
• Suggested White bring six UFC champions as assistants
• White declined the offer, position remains vacant

US President Donald Trump wanted Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) chief Dana White to take over as White House press secretary, even suggesting that he bring along a team of fighters as assistants. However, White has turned down the offer, according to a CNN report.

Trump made the unusual pitch in a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, describing White as a "violent Fighter and Warrior" and saying he wanted him to take up the high-profile communications role.

The US President also proposed that White bring six current or former UFC champions along as assistants, including fighters from the United States, Russia and Brazil.

Among those named were Russian fighters Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov, Americans Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier and Kayla Harrison, and Brazilian-born Amanda Nunes, who became a US citizen last year.

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

However, White declined the proposal, CNN reported, citing a source familiar with the matter. White and UFC parent company TKO Group Holdings did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY POST VACANT

Trump's proposal comes as the White House press secretary position remains vacant following the departure of Katie Zacharia last month, whose tenure lasted less than a week. She had taken over from Karoline Leavitt, who left the position at the end of August.

White has been a longtime ally of Trump, with their association dating back to the early 2000s, when the President's Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City hosted UFC events.

Their relationship grew closer after White publicly backed Trump's presidential campaign in 2016. Trump has since become a regular presence at UFC events and has frequently appeared alongside the promotion's chief.

In June, the White House even hosted a UFC fight night as part of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of US independence.

The UFC chief would not have been the first person from the organisation to join Trump's White House team. Steven Cheung, currently the White House director of communications, previously worked for White's organisation between 2013 and 2016.

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With inputs from Reuters