Trump says he was “only kidding” about offering UFC chief Dana White the press secretary job
On Saturday Trump said on Truth Social that he had offered UFC chief Dana White the White House press secretary job. On Sunday he said, “I was only kidding.” White has said he will meet Trump in Washington on Monday. The post has been vacant since Katie Zacharia left Oct. 16.
Bias breakdown and outlet coverageon the RUSH story page →The offer and the walk-back
CNN reported that Trump posted Saturday on Truth Social that White, “a violent Fighter and Warrior,” had been offered the job of press secretary, wrote “Dana, please take the job!” and listed six UFC fighters as proposed assistants. CNN cited a source who said White declined, and said one aide described the offer as a joke.
On Sunday, Trump told reporters, “I was only kidding, but Dana loves the idea,” Breitbart reported. Fox News reported that Trump pointed to the fighters he had named as assistants as a sign it was a joke, and said White was coming to see him Monday for other reasons. BBC reported that White said Saturday he would meet Trump on Monday but did not say whether he would take the job.
The vacancy
Breitbart reported that the role has been vacant since Katie Zacharia left on Oct. 16 after less than a week. Karoline Leavitt left in August, CNN reported. The Guardian reported that Trump said the idea of White at the podium flanked by fighters was meant to mean reporters “wouldn’t mess around with him so much.”
An unconfirmed mix-up theory
National Review reported that an independent journalist said on X that Dana W. White, who ran public affairs for the defense secretary, was on a shortlist for the job, and the outlet asked whether Trump confused the two. It noted there has been no confirmation of that theory.
Why this matters
The White House has been without a press secretary for weeks, and what comes out of Monday’s meeting is unknown. Trump has described the offer as a joke, while White has not said what the meeting is about.