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Trump says he was ‘only kidding’ about making Dana White press secretary

Donald Trump says he was ‘only kidding’ about appointing UFC CEO Dana White as the White House press secretary.

✦ Extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting•From 7 sources•1 min read•Updated November 9, 2026, 8:49 AM UTC
Key points
  • A day after the former Apprentice host offered the “Great Dana White, a violent Fighter and Warrior” the still vacant mouthpiece position via social media, Trump […].
  • Speaking to reporters on his way back the White House from his beach club in Florida, Trump explained the premise of his joke, that if the UFC boss, who is a devoted fan of the president, took over the briefing room, flanked by six fighters, reporters “wouldn’t mess around with him so much”.
  • The president told the Ultimate Fighting Championship boss to "please take the job" in a Truth Social post on Saturday.

KAROLINE LEAVITT REVEALS SHE’S ADVISED TRUMP ON WHITE HOUSE REPLACEMENT IN FINAL INTERVIEW AS PRESS SECRETARY White previously told Sports Business Journal in November 2024 that he had "no personal political aspirations" when asked about a possible role in Trump’s incoming administration.

Additional details
  • He captioned the photo, "On to the next chapter." LEAVITT OPENS UP ON HELPING TRUMP FIND NEW PRESS SECRETARY AFTER ZACHARIA DEBACLE: 'WAS NOT FOR HER' The exchange came weeks after Katie Zacharia’s departure as press secretary.
  • UFC STARS VISIT OVAL OFFICE, THANK PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR TRANSFORMING THE SPORT WITH HISTORIC WHITE HOUSE FIGHT "Dana, please take the job!" Trump wrote.
  • TRUMP'S NEW PRESS SECRETARY OUT OF THE JOB JUST DAYS AFTER ROCKY DEBUT Trump said some people took to the idea after he floated it.
  • 23 about finding a replacement, Trump told reporters, "We’re in no rush." Trump and White have known each other for decades, dating back to the UFC’s early years, when Trump hosted fights at his Atlantic City property.
  • White introduced Trump at the 2024 Republican National Convention and joined him on the White House South Lawn in June for UFC Freedom 250.

How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →

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Every article behind this summary — 9 articles from 7 outlets

BBC WorldNovember 9, 2026, 8:49 AM UTC → Al JazeeraNovember 9, 2026, 8:18 AM UTC → Al JazeeraNovember 9, 2026, 5:02 AM UTC → DeadlineNovember 9, 2026, 3:58 AM UTC → The Guardian WorldNovember 9, 2026, 1:10 AM UTC → NYT PoliticsNovember 9, 2026, 12:43 AM UTC → Fox NewsNovember 9, 2026, 12:06 AM UTC → NYT PoliticsNovember 8, 2026, 12:20 AM UTC → CNBCNovember 7, 2026, 11:13 PM UTC →

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