Joke or test? Trump floated UFC’s Dana White for press secretary, then ended speculation

A post sparks speculation

Trump’s post appeared Saturday and asked White to take the press secretary job. It also suggested that fighters Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov join him as assistants. Trump wrote that the fighters were needed to defend against the “Lunatic Left” and described White as a press secretary “like none other.” After hours of speculation, Trump put an end to the rumors Sunday night.

A long political alliance

White and Trump have known each other for more than 25 years, after Trump supported UFC events at his Atlantic City casino. White has backed Trump in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 elections and donated tens of thousands to his campaigns.

In 2020, White gave $1m to America First Action, a pro-Trump political action committee. At the 2016 Republican National Convention, White credited Trump with supporting the UFC when other venues and athletic commissions did not.

White’s UFC career

White, born in Manchester, Connecticut, on July 28, 1969, is a former boxer and two-time college dropout. He began by running gyms and managing fighters, including Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell.

Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta bought the UFC for $2m, and White became its president in 2001. He later told reporters he was flying to Washington, DC, but appeared dismissive of joining the administration; experts say his lack of government experience might not rule him out under Trump.