President Donald Trump has offered UFC president Dana White the job of White House press secretary, asking the mixed martial arts boss to bring six fighters with him as assistants. Trump made the offer in a Truth Social post on Saturday afternoon, November 7, 2026, praising White as a warrior and urging him to take the job, three weeks after the post fell vacant.

Key Points

• Trump announced the offer in a Truth Social post at 1:40 p.m. ET on Saturday, November 7, 2026.
• He asked White to bring six fighters as assistants: Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harrison.
• White, 57, a longtime Trump ally, has previously said he has no political ambitions and is not interested in a government job.
• Minutes after the post, White shared an AI image of himself at the briefing-room lectern on his Instagram story, captioned “On to the next chapter”.
• The press secretary job has been vacant since October 16, when Katie Zacharia left after a five-day tenure.

What Happened

Trump unveiled the offer in a Truth Social post at 1:40 p.m. ET on Saturday. “I am pleased to announce that the Great Dana White, a violent Fighter and Warrior, has been offered the job of Press Secretary of the United States,” he wrote, asking White to bring six fighters as assistants — Makhachev, Nurmagomedov, Gaethje, Cormier, Nunes and Harrison — “even though some are not from our Country”.

“We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left. Dana will be a Press Secretary like none other. Dana, please take the job!” Trump wrote. The post included images of growling UFC fighters and one of White in a suit standing behind a podium, in the style of a White House briefing.

Minutes after the post appeared, White responded on his own Instagram story, sharing a screenshot of the president’s announcement alongside an AI-generated image of himself at the briefing-room lectern. He captioned it “On to the next chapter”, a tease that stopped short of a formal acceptance. As of Saturday evening, White had not formally accepted, and the White House had made no separate announcement. It remains unclear whether Trump was joking, but he has repeatedly turned unconventional ideas into real appointments.

Background

White, 57, has led the Ultimate Fighting Championship as president and chief executive for more than two decades, turning it into one of the world’s biggest sports businesses. He spoke at the Republican National Convention in 2016, 2020 and 2024, but has repeatedly said he has no political ambitions and is not interested in a government job.

The press secretary’s job has been vacant since October 16, 2026, when Katie Zacharia left after a five-day tenure. Announced on October 9 to replace Karoline Leavitt, her brief spell ended almost as quickly as it began, and the White House has gone without a permanent press secretary ever since. Zacharia later broke her silence on the five-day stint, describing a whirlwind few days that left her an international talking point.

The offer to White came a day after Trump named Stephen Miller his new chief of staff, starting Monday, November 9. The two moves point to a president reshaping his senior team after Republicans lost both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections on Tuesday, November 3.

Dana White Press Secretary Offer Raises Questions

The six fighters are among the most recognisable names in mixed martial arts: Makhachev and Nurmagomedov are from Russia, Gaethje and Cormier are Americans, Nunes is Brazilian and Harrison is American. Trump’s aside that some are “not from our Country” drew attention, since White House staff roles normally require American citizenship and security clearances.

Trump has long treated the briefing room as a stage for combat as much as communication, and White built his career on exactly that kind of confrontation. A press secretary drawn from the fight world would be the most unconventional appointment to the role in modern history.

Whether the idea survives contact with reality is another matter. White runs a global sports business and has shown no sign of wanting to trade fight nights for daily briefings. His Instagram tease may have been nothing more than a joke shared between two old friends, played out in public.

Reactions and Quotes

Trump’s own words set the tone. “I am pleased to announce that the Great Dana White, a violent Fighter and Warrior, has been offered the job of Press Secretary of the United States,” he wrote on Truth Social, adding: “We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left. Dana will be a Press Secretary like none other. Dana, please take the job!”

White’s response was short and deliberately ambiguous: “On to the next chapter”. The White House said nothing separately about the offer on Saturday, offering no confirmation and no comment on whether the president was serious.

Why It Matters

The White House has now gone more than three weeks without a permanent press secretary, one of the most visible jobs in American government. The briefing room is where the administration explains itself to the country, and a long gap leaves that work to spokespeople without the authority of the title.

The timing matters too. Trump is reshaping his team after a bruising midterm defeat, with Stephen Miller due to start as chief of staff on Monday and Democrats preparing oversight investigations once they take control of Congress in January. A White appointment would blur the line between politics and entertainment further than any previous press secretary pick.

What Happens Next

The next move belongs to White. If he formally accepts, the White House would need to confirm the appointment and explain how a UFC chief executive would run the briefing room, and what role the six fighters would play. If he declines, the search continues, and the post will have been vacant for a month by the time a replacement is found. Watch for a formal response from White in the coming days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Has Dana White accepted the job?
No. White only teased acceptance with an Instagram story captioned “On to the next chapter”, sharing an AI image of himself at the lectern. He has not formally accepted, and the White House has made no announcement.

Who are the six fighters Trump named?
Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harrison. Trump asked White to bring them as assistants, “even though some are not from our Country”.

Why is the press secretary job vacant?
Katie Zacharia left on October 16, 2026, after a five-day tenure, having been announced on October 9 to replace Karoline Leavitt. The job has been vacant ever since.

Was Trump joking?
It is unclear. The tone and the images of growling fighters suggest humour, but Trump has repeatedly turned unconventional ideas into real appointments, and the White House has not said it was a joke.

When did Trump make the offer?
In a Truth Social post at 1:40 p.m. ET on Saturday, November 7, 2026, a day after naming Stephen Miller his new chief of staff.

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