Dana White stepped behind the White House briefing-room podium and took questions from reporters on November 9. But when President Donald Trump asked whether he wanted the press secretary job, the UFC chief had an answer: “I do not want to be in politics.”
Trump had already said the proposal was a joke. His November 7 announcement had nevertheless generated a weekend of questions about whether his longtime friend might join the administration.
The appearance was arranged so quickly that staff did not attach the presidential seal to the lectern. Reporters were summoned over the loudspeaker as technicians hurried to set up their equipment, Reuters reported.
The administration still has a genuine vacancy to fill. Katie Zacharia’s brief October tenure followed the departure of Karoline Leavitt in August, according to Business Insider.
White Explains Why He Waited for Trump to Address the Offer
Dana White rejects Trump’s press secretary job offer during White House briefing 😅
🎥: Fox News https://t.co/jhuObNA20G
TMZ (@TMZ) November 9, 2026
Asked whether he had already rejected the position, White explained that he had wanted the president to speak first. “I don’t tell the president no to anything,” he said, according to Roll Call’s transcript. With news outlets contacting him, he had been reluctant to publicly dismiss the idea in a way that might seem disrespectful.
White had been in London for a Zuffa Boxing event when Trump called to tell him about the announcement. He described the attention that followed as overwhelming. Trump attributed the idea to frustration with his press coverage and said White’s previously arranged visit gave them an opportunity to have some fun with it.
Trump suggested six current and former UFC champions as assistants, including Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Amanda Nunes. On Sunday, he told reporters that the fighter lineup was supposed to make the joke apparent. After White gave his answer at the end of Monday’s appearance, Trump closed with a mock lament: “I am devastated to hear this.”
White Had a Trading Card for Trump
🚨 Dana White is making his way to the White House. TMZ DC’s @jacob_wass caught up with him to talk about his plans to meet with President Trump and their bizzare back-and-forth over the vacant press secretary job. https://t.co/37KJ8SbH0F
— TMZ (@TMZ) November 9, 2026
White told TMZ he wanted Trump’s signature on a one-of-one UFC Freedom 250 trading card. The meeting had been planned for reasons unrelated to the communications job, Trump had confirmed the previous day. Before leaving his hotel, White described the autograph as one reason for coming to Washington, rather than giving a full account of their agenda.
The collectible referred to the UFC event staged on the White House South Lawn in June, part of the celebrations for the country’s 250th anniversary and Trump’s 80th birthday. White helped bring the fights to the presidential grounds after years of Trump attending the promotion’s events.
Months earlier, Trump had shared an image of a Topps booklet featuring himself and White alongside commemorative patches. The August 1 post, preserved by the American Presidency Project, shows the collectible marked “1/1.”
Reporters Ask White About Pete Rose and a Hypothetical Fight
White seemed pleased to get his turn at the lectern. “I’ve always wanted to do this. Who has the first question?” he said, according to the Associated Press. The questions ranged from a proposed pardon to an imaginary matchup between two presidents.
One reporter asked White to assess a fight between Trump and former President Joe Biden, assuming they were the same age and weight. White picked Trump, as BoxingScene reported. Another asked whether he would advise the president to issue a posthumous pardon for Pete Rose.
White said he did not advise Trump but considered a pardon fair. The president expressed support, and a reporter reminded him that Rose’s criminal case concerned taxes. Separately, the Hall of Fame confirmed Rose’s eligibility for consideration in May 2025 after MLB removed him from its ineligible list.
The president also asked about his own chances against professional fighters. After discussing an upcoming women’s UFC bout, Trump wondered whether he would do well against one of its competitors. White’s assessment was considerably less flattering: “I don’t think so.”