Trump says he offered UFC's Dana White the press secretary role

By Cara Tabachnick News Editor Cara Tabachnick is a news editor at CBSNews.com. Cara began her career on the crime beat at Newsday. She has written for Marie Claire, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. She reports on justice and human rights issues. Contact her at cara.tabachnick@cbsinteractive.com Read Full Bio November 7, 2026 / 5:27 PM EST / CBS News Add CBS News on Google President Trump says he has offered the open White House press secretary role to UFC CEO Dana White. The president said Saturday in a Truth Social post, "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." "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. We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left," he said.It was unclear at the time of publication whether White has accepted the position, though he shared an image of himself at the White House press briefing room podium to his Instagram story with the caption, "On to the next chapter." Reporting from at least one media outlet suggested that the post may have been made tongue-in-cheek. CBS News has reached out to the White House and UFC for additional comment. Dana White, president of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and President Trump during an event in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Aug. 5, 2026. Ian Maule / Bloomberg via Getty Images The president's remarks come days after Democrats swept the midterm elections, taking control of the House and the Senate.The press secretary role has been vacant since Oct. 16, when conservative commentator Katie Zacharia was removed from the job after just five days. Zacharia was Mr. Trump's pick to fill the role after Karoline Leavitt stepped aside in August, saying she wanted to spend more time with her young family. As the chief of Ultimate Fighting Championship, running a global league valued at more than $15 billion, White has been a longtime supporter of Mr. Trump and attended his inauguration. The White House also hosted an Ultimate Fighting Championship in July on the South Lawn to mark the nation's 250th anniversary. The event coincided with Mr. Trump's 80th birthday. "Dana will be a Press Secretary like none other. Dana, please take the job!" Mr. Trump said in his post.This is a developing story and will be updated. Kathryn Watson contributed to this report. In: Dana White Trump Administration White House UFC Trump looking for new press secretary after Katie Zacharia fired 03:20 Trump looking for new press secretary after Katie Zacharia fired (03:20)