Trump offers UFC boss Dana White the press secretary job, and CNN says he declined

President Donald Trump said on Saturday that UFC president and CEO Dana White has been offered the job of press secretary, CNBC reported. Reuters, The New York Times and AP News all ran stories on the offer the same day. AP's headline says no one will say whether Trump is joking.

What was said

According to CNBC, Trump wrote on Truth Social that "the Great Dana White, a violent Fighter and Warrior, has been offered the job of Press Secretary of the United States," adding, "Dana, please take the job!" He said the role would extend to White's assistants and named current and former UFC fighters from countries including Brazil and Russia.

White did not answer directly. CNBC says he posted a photo on Instagram stories of himself behind the press secretary's lectern in the White House, captioned "On to the next chapter." CNBC says it is unclear whether that was an acceptance or a joke. CNN, citing a source, reported that White declined. CNBC said the White House and the UFC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Why the post lands now

The job has been unsettled. CNBC reports that Katie Zacharia left the White House press secretary post in October, five days after she began as Karoline Leavitt's replacement. Trump said he suggested she quit after her first briefing, in which she took questions from three conservative outlets.

The offer also follows Friday's announcement that Stephen Miller will replace Susie Wiles as chief of staff, three days after Democrats won control of the House and Senate in the midterms. We covered that move in our report on the Wiles shake-up.

The friendship behind it

Trump and White have known each other for years. CNBC notes that White praised Trump during the 2016 campaign, and that Trump hosted a UFC card on the White House South Lawn on June 14, 2026, billed as UFC Freedom 250, for his 80th birthday.

What is not known

We have not seen a statement from White, the UFC or the White House confirming an acceptance, a start date or any ethics review of a sitting UFC chief taking a government post. Until one of them speaks, the only things established are the president's post, White's Instagram image and CNN's sourced report that he said no. For our fight coverage, including the UFC calendar, see /fights.

Sources: CNBC, Nov. 7, 2026 (including its summary of CNN's report); Reuters, The New York Times and AP News headlines of the same day. This is news reporting; the Chronicle takes no side in politics.