President Donald Trump has claimed he was “only kidding” about offering UFC president Dana White the job of White House press secretary.
“So I was kidding, but I think Dana likes the idea, and he is a very capable guy,” the president, 80, told reporters on Sunday, November 8, per reporting by The Guardian. “Of course, I was kidding. And you could see that because I put all of the great fighters as his assistants, that they’re all going to come with him. It was just a little fun.”
The clarification comes after the commander-in-chief announced via his social media platform Truth Social that he’d offered the job to White, 57. “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,” the president wrote one day prior. “I have requested that he bring with him assistants, even though some are not from our country, of Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes, and Kayla Harris.”
The president, who has been looking to fill the vacant role since Katie Zacharia was relieved of her duties after just five days, continued at the time, “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! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
Us reached out to both the White House and reps for White for comment but did not hear back.
After the president shared news of White’s alleged job offer, he appeared to double down on the decision earlier on Sunday. Taking to Truth Social again, Trump shared an AI-generated cartoon that depicted White attacking the press while reiterating a sexist and transphobic conspiracy theory about former first lady Michelle Obama.
“Trump made me press secretary. I brought help,” the cartoon began, showing a Family Guy-esque White standing behind a podium in the White House press room while flanked by several mixed martial artists including Nurmagomedov, 38, and Makhachev, 35.
AI-White then ordered various fighters to take out reporters after they asked questions including, “Is Trump a threat to democracy?” and “Is Michelle Obama running in 2028?”
“Michelle Obama is a man. Am I right, America?” a cartoon version of UFC heavyweight Josh Hokit responded to the latter question, echoing the real Hokit’s post-match remarks on June 14 during the UFC Freedom 250 event staged on the White House’s South Lawn. (White condemned Hokit’s statement, calling it “nasty and false.” Hokit later claimed his statement was meant to convey Obama’s ability to “handle adversity.”)
White himself seemingly got in on the joke, too, over the weekend, telling reporters on Saturday after a London boxing event that he was “flying to Washington, D.C. right now.”
