WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (Azat TV) – U.S. President Donald Trump publicly solicited Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White to serve as White House press secretary through a BBC report published on November 7, 2026. Writing on Truth Social on Saturday afternoon, November 7, 2026, the president described White as a “violent Fighter and Warrior” and publicly urged him to accept the post, stating: “Dana, please take the job!” The unconventional proposal follows a turbulent period for the administration, arriving just days after sweeping Republican losses in the November 2026 midterm elections that cost the GOP control of both chambers of Congress.
The validity of the public job offer remains unverified, as neither the White House nor the UFC immediately responded to inquiries from PBS NewsHour. The press secretary vacancy has been open since mid-October, following the brief tenure of Katie Zacharia, who departed the role after only five days. Meanwhile, White shared an image of Trump’s post on Instagram alongside a photo of himself standing behind the lectern in the White House press briefing room with the caption “On to the next chapter,” though commentators noted it remained unclear whether the response was serious or tongue-in-cheek.
Political Backdrop and White House Transition
The presidential outreach coincides with a major administration shakeup following the midterm elections. On Friday, November 6, 2026, President Trump announced that he was replacing White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles with domestic policy adviser Stephen Miller. The promotion of Miller, a hardline loyalist who has spearheaded polarizing immigration initiatives, signals an aggressive recalibration by the White House as it faces hostile congressional majorities.
Amid this political friction, Trump’s proposal for White included an unusual caveat: he asked the fight promoter to bring several high-profile UFC fighters as assistants. According to the BBC, Trump argued that these fighters—even those who are not U.S. citizens—were necessary “to defend us against the Lunatic Left.” At the time of the announcement, White was in London, England, attending a boxing match at the Copper Box Arena.
Longstanding Alliance and Competing Commitments
White and Trump share a decades-long friendship and political alliance. In 2001, when mixed martial arts faced severe bipartisan backlash and mainstream venues rejected the fledgling promotion, Trump hosted two UFC events at the Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, an intervention White has frequently credited with saving the organization. White subsequently spoke at Republican National Conventions in 2016, 2020, and 2024, and the UFC held a cage match event on the White House lawn earlier in the summer of 2026.
Despite their close ties, industry analysts question whether White would have the capacity to take on the grueling responsibilities of the White House press office. In addition to leading the UFC and Power Slap, White recently launched a professional boxing promotion company, Zuffa Boxing, and was appointed to the board of directors of Meta last year.