Trump says he was 'kidding' about Dana White press secretary offer

What the report says

BBC World News reports that US President Donald Trump said he was “kidding” when he suggested Dana White, the chief executive of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, should become White House press secretary. Trump had posted on Truth Social on Saturday saying White had been offered the job and urging him to take it, while praising him as someone who could serve in the role in an unusual way.

On Sunday, Trump told reporters that White “loves the idea” but that the offer was meant as “just a little fun.” He also said White was due to visit him in Washington on Monday for unrelated reasons. White did not say whether he would accept the post, and had earlier told reporters he already had “lot of jobs already.”

The press secretary position has been open since October, after Katie Zacharia left the job less than a week after taking it over from Karoline Leavitt. BBC notes that Trump’s remarks came after a poor Republican showing in the midterm elections, when the party lost control of both chambers of Congress.

White, who leads UFC and also works in other sports and media ventures, has been a visible Trump ally for years, appearing at Republican National Conventions and at Trump’s 2024 election victory speech.