Donald Trump offered UFC chief Dana White the position of White House press secretary and suggested that six prominent mixed martial arts fighters join him as assistants.
The fighters named included Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harrison.
Subsequent media reports said White had declined the offer, although Trump had indicated that he wanted to meet him at the White House.
Trump Offers UFC Chief Dana White White House Press Secretary Job, Names Fighters As Potential Aides
US President Donald Trump has offered UFC chief Dana White the position of White House press secretary and suggested that several prominent mixed martial arts fighters join him as assistants, although subsequent reports said White had declined
Summary
US President Donald Trump has offered Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) chief executive Dana White the position of White House press secretary, suggesting that several prominent mixed martial arts fighters join him as assistants. In a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, November 7, Trump named six current or former UFC champions, including Russia's Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev, as well as Americans Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier and Kayla Harrison, and Brazilian-born Amanda Nunes.
Describing White as a “violent Fighter and Warrior”, Trump said he wanted the UFC chief to bring the fighters into the White House to help defend his administration against what he called the “Lunatic Left”. He ended the post by urging White to accept the position, writing: “Dana, please take the job!”
White's response to the proposal remained unclear initially. Speaking to reporters in London on Saturday after attending a boxing event, he said he would meet Trump at the White House on Monday, November 9. He did not confirm whether he would accept the position.
However, a subsequent report by CNN, cited said White had declined the offer, quoting a source familiar with the matter. A White House aide also suggested that Trump may have been joking about the proposal. White's meeting with Trump and any formal decision on the position remained unconfirmed in the reports available on Sunday morning.
Trump Names Khabib, Makhachev Among Potential Assistants
The fighters named in Trump's post include Nurmagomedov, the former UFC lightweight champion from Dagestan, and Makhachev, another former lightweight champion from the Russian region. The list also included American fighters Gaethje and Cormier, former women's bantamweight and featherweight champion Nunes, and Olympic gold medallist and UFC champion Harrison.
Trump's post referred to Harrison as “Kayla Harris”, apparently an error in the name. Harrison is an American mixed martial artist who won Olympic gold medals in judo before moving into professional fighting. Nunes, who was born in Brazil, became a US citizen in 2025, according to Reuters.
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White House Communications Director Steven Cheung appeared to support Trump's suggestion, reposting the President's message on X with the words: “Hell yeah! Do it, @DanaWhite!”
White House Press Secretary Position Remains Vacant
The proposal comes amid changes in Trump's communications team. The press secretary position became vacant after Karoline Leavitt left the role at the end of August. Conservative commentator Katie Zacharia was appointed as her replacement but left the position in October after serving for five days.
White has maintained a close relationship with Trump for years. The two first worked together in the early 2000s, when Trump's Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City hosted UFC events. White later publicly backed Trump's presidential campaigns, including his 2016, 2020 and 2024 bids. Trump has also attended several UFC events, while the White House hosted a UFC event on its South Lawn in June as part of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of US independence.
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