Trump says he wants UFC chief Dana White for White House press secretary

07 Nov 2026, 19:13 · CNA · Join

President Donald Trump looks on from his viewing box next to UFC president Dana White after the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington DC on the street circuit at National Mall. Aug 23, 2026. (Photo: Amber Searls-Imagn Images/File Photo)

FILE PHOTO: Jul 11, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; UFC president Dana White in attendance during UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images/File Photo

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WASHINGTON, Nov 7 : US President Donald Trump on Saturday said he had asked mixed martial arts promoter Dana White to serve as White House press secretary and called on him to bring some fighters along as assistants "even though some are not from our country."

White, chief executive of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, is a "violent Fighter and Warrior," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

Trump also asked for six current or former UFC titleholders to join White, including two athletes from Russia's Dagestan region, Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov; Americans Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier and "Kayla Harris," likely a reference to Kayla Harrison; and Amanda Nunes, a Brazilian native who became a US citizen last year.

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

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White declined the offer, CNN reported, citing a source familiar with the matter. White and UFC's parent company, TKO Group Holdings, did not immediately answer Reuters' requests for comment.

The White House press secretary role has been vacant since Katie Zacharia's tenure ended last month after less than a week. Zacharia replaced Karoline Leavitt, who left the role at the end of August.

White and Trump first worked together in the early 2000s, when Trump's Taj Mahal casino hosted some UFC events. But they have become closer allies since the UFC chief publicly backed Trump's presidential campaign in 2016.

Trump in recent years has attended several UFC events, and in June the White House hosted a night of UFC fights as part of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of US independence.

The White House press office already has a former UFC spokesperson in White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung, who worked for White's organization from 2013 to 2016.

Trump says he wants UFC chief Dana White for White House press secretary

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