Public offer meets reported rejection
President Donald Trump used Truth Social on Saturday to offer UFC president and CEO Dana White the job of speaking for his administration, according to CNBC. Trump praised White’s combative qualities and presented the proposed appointment as a way to defend the administration against its political opponents. His post directly urged White to accept, making the overture public without announcing an agreed appointment.
CNN, citing an unnamed source, reported that White had turned down the offer. Earlier Saturday, White had shared an Instagram Stories photograph of himself behind the White House press secretary’s lectern, accompanied by a caption suggesting a new chapter. That post did not establish whether he intended to take the position or was treating the prospect humorously. CNBC reported that the White House and UFC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
An unconventional search for a spokesperson
Trump described the position as press secretary of the United States, although the formal title of the president’s spokesperson is White House press secretary. He also said the offer extended to White’s assistants, naming current and former UFC mixed martial arts fighters, including people from Brazil and Russia. Trump acknowledged that some of those he named were not from the United States; the account did not establish any agreed staffing arrangement.
White was not the only entertainment or sports figure Trump had recently discussed for the role. In an interview with podcaster Benny Johnson, the president also floated rapper and Trump supporter Nicki Minaj as a possible press secretary. That discussion was described as speculation, distinct from Saturday’s public offer to White. Neither episode, as reported, established who would next take responsibility for the administration’s press operation.
Press office turnover accompanies leadership change
The outreach followed the October departure of Katie Zacharia, whose tenure as press secretary ended just five days after she replaced Karoline Leavitt. According to CNBC, Zacharia held one briefing, answering questions for six minutes and taking questions from three conservative outlets. Speaking outside the White House on Oct. 16, Trump said he had suggested she leave after discussing whether the position suited her.
The uncertainty over the spokesperson’s role coincided with a change at the top of the White House staff. Friday’s announcement said deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller would be promoted to chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles. CNBC placed the shake-up in the immediate aftermath of a landslide Democratic midterm victory that delivered control of both the House and Senate. The staffing moves therefore came as Trump faced a substantially altered congressional landscape.
Longstanding UFC ties, but no confirmed appointment
Trump’s appeal drew on a friendship with White that predates his presidency. During the 2016 campaign, White praised the Republican nominee and credited him with recognizing UFC’s potential when others did not take the business seriously. White said Trump had encouraged its development. That history provides context for the president’s choice of White, though it does not resolve whether the latest overture was a practical recruitment effort or a public gesture.
The relationship was also visible in June, when Trump hosted a UFC event called UFC Freedom 250 on the White House South Lawn for his 80th birthday, CNBC reported. For now, the reported rejection and absence of immediate comment leave no confirmed appointment arising from Saturday’s offer. The account identified no related market movement or UFC business change; the unresolved issue is who will fill the White House communications role.
Source: CNBC