‘I do not want to be in politics’: Dana White turns down Trump's press secretary job offer as POTUS says he was ‘kidding’

Dana White appeared at a White House press briefing, where he turned down the press secretary job offered by Trump, who admitted that he was joking about it. UFC CEO Dana White appeared at a White House press briefing on Monday, November 9, where he turned down the press secretary job offered by President Donald Trump, who in turn admitted that he was joking about it.US President Donald Trump, right, and Dana White, president of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), during a news conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, Nov. 9, 2026. (Photographer: Tierney L. Cross/The Washington Post/Bloomberg) (Bloomberg)Trump earlier took to Truth Social to announce that he was offering White the press secretary job, and hoped he would bring along some of the top UFC fighters to serve as his assistants. Later, White said he was flying to Washington D.C. on Monday to meet with Trump."I don't tell the president no to anything," White said during the press briefing. "I didn't say no. Literally every media outlet was calling me and I didn't want to be disrespectful and say anything until he said something first."Also Read | 'Would have won in a landslide': Trump blames Democratic gains in midterms on him not being on the ballotTrump later admitted that he was joking about the job offer."We were having a very bad press day and I don't know why, I thought of his name, he's been a friend for a long time," Trump said. "I said I think I'm going to get Dana White to be my new press secretary. I said it to a group of the press and that was it. I was sort of kidding.”He added, "Then they wrote the stories as though I wasn't kidding and then [Dana] was inundated and I was inundated. He was here anyway and we thought we'd have a little fun and we brought Dana here. He would be fantastic."Dana White turns down press secretary job offerAfter Karoline Leavitt resigned from the position in August, Trump has been searching for a full time press secretary. Trump previously asked White to be White House press secretary in a Truth Social post.Also Read | Trump vows to become 'Political Pundit' as midterm results deal blow to POTUS"Dana will be a Press Secretary like none other," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Dana, please take the job!"On being humorously pressed by Trump for an answer to the offer, White said at the press briefing, "Thank you for the offer, sir. I do not want to be in politics."Trump replied that he was "devastated,” before the briefing ended.Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More