President Donald Trump admitted he was joking after White turned down the role during a White House briefing on Monday.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO Dana White declined an offer from US President Donald Trump to serve as the White House press secretary, according to reports from Hindustan Times and Rediff.
During a press briefing on Monday, November 9, White stated, "I do not want to be in politics" when asked about the proposal. White, who travelled to Washington D.C. for the meeting, noted that he had waited to respond until the President spoke first.
Trump had previously posted on Truth Social that White would be a press secretary "like none other" and urged him to accept. The President suggested that White could bring several mixed martial arts fighters to serve as his team to help defend the administration against the "Lunatic Left."
The President named several fighters as potential assistants, including Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes, and Kayla Harrison. Trump later told reporters he was "sort of kidding" about the offer, explaining that he made the comment during a bad press day.
The position has been vacant following the departure of Karoline Leavitt in August and a brief tenure by Katie Zacharias. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung had previously expressed support for the idea on social media.
Trump described White as a "violent Fighter and Warrior" and noted the two have been friends for a long time.
