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US Politics

Trump says he has offered the press secretary job to UFC boss Dana White

White posted an Instagram image of himself at the White House podium, and the White House has not confirmed the offer.

33 news outlets reported this
Liberal16 outletsUnclear if serious, amid White House turmoilCenter9 outletsOffer announced, genuineness unclear, White's backgroundConservative8 outletsTrump's post, White's playful reply, possible meeting
ABRAnews EditorialPublished 1 min read
Overview

On Saturday, Nov. 7, President Donald Trump announced in a Truth Social post that Dana White, CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, has been offered the White House press secretary job. Trump called White "a violent Fighter and Warrior" and asked him to bring assistants, naming six UFC fighters, "even though some are not from our Country." They are Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harrison, whose name the post spelled as Kayla Harris.

Trump wrote, "We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left." White posted on Instagram an image of himself behind the White House briefing room podium with the words "On to the next chapter." He has not directly said whether he accepts.

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and whether the offer is serious is unclear. The job has been open since Katie Zacharia left in October after five days. She had replaced Karoline Leavitt, who left in August.

The offer came a day after Trump named Stephen Miller chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles, and days after Republicans lost control of both chambers of in Tuesday's .

Key figures
  • five daystime Katie Zacharia held the press secretary job before leavingNBC News
  • $20 millionWhite's reported annual UFC salary, per MS NOWMS NOW

Three sides of the story

16Liberal9Center8Conservative

33 news outlets reported this

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Liberal16 outlets

Unclear if serious, amid White House turmoil

NBC News opens with Trump's Truth Social post and says it is unclear whether the offer is serious, adding that a White House spokesperson did not immediately respond. The Boston Globe, running an AP report, headlines that "No one will say if he's joking" and places the offer in a White House in "major transition" after the midterm losses and the swap of Susie Wiles for Stephen Miller. MS NOW calls it a "surreal announcement" and embeds a post by reporter Marc Caputo quoting a Trump adviser: "All Truth Social posts are official statements from the president."

It also quotes former Republican member of Congress Adam Kinzinger, who called the Trump White House a "joke." Yahoo News adds the history between Trump and White, going back to 2001, and notes Trump mistyped Kayla Harrison's name. La Opinión, in Spanish, reports that Trump asked White to bring UFC fighters along as assistants, and recalls that Democrats criticized the White House UFC event as an unnecessary waste of resources.

Center9 outlets

Offer announced, genuineness unclear, White's background

BBC News headlines Trump's plea, "Dana, please take the job!", and says it is unclear whether the offer is genuine. It says it asked the White House, UFC and parent company TKO for comment. It adds background on White's clashes with journalists and on his credit to Trump for saving UFC by hosting two events at his Atlantic City casino in 2001.

UPI also says it is unclear whether the post is real or a joke. It notes that of the fighters named, only Makhachev and Nurmagomedov are non-U.S. citizens, both Russian, and says UFC's parent CEO Andrew Schleimer put the loss on the White House event at $30 million. The Las Vegas Review-Journal and Deutsche Welle run reports flagged as developing or breaking, and both recall that Katie Zacharia left the job on Oct. 16.

DW adds that White has been UFC president since 2001 and CEO since 2023. NewsNation says Trump wants White to become his next press secretary and suggested bringing several UFC stars.

Conservative8 outlets

Trump's post, White's playful reply, possible meeting

RedState calls it a "surprising announcement," relays it through Fox News' Bill Melugin, and says it came hours after Trump named Stephen Miller chief of staff. It adds that the news "should rile up the Left." The New York Post quotes the full post and says the images of "growling"

UFC fighters, along with one of White behind a podium bearing the presidential seal, point to an offer that may have been "tongue-in-cheek." It also recounts Katie Zacharia's five days, including a briefing it says lasted 15 minutes, and calls it the shortest stint ever for a Trump aide. The Post Millennial says White responded by "making light of the offer," recalls that he has said he is "done with politics," and quotes him saying he has become "very close to Rubio."

The Washington Examiner runs a brief breaking report quoting the post and calling White a longtime ally. Just the News leads with a report that White is to meet Trump on Monday at the White House, according to TMZ.

What a side did not mention
  • Liberal outlets did not mentionWhite is reportedly set to meet Trump on Monday at the White House, per TMZ Reported by Just the News
  • Centrist outlets did not mentionWhite is reportedly set to meet Trump on Monday at the White House, per TMZ Reported by Just the News
  • Centrist outlets did not mentionTrump named Stephen Miller chief of staff on Friday, replacing Susie Wiles Reported by NBC News, The Boston Globe, MS NOW, RedState
Where outlets disagree
All sources: 43 articles from 33 outlets

Liberal (19)

Center (11)

Conservative (13)

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  3. Trump says he has offered the press secretary job to UFC boss Dana WhiteThis story
  4. Trump says he was joking about making UFC chief Dana White his press secretary
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