Key points

  • US President Donald Trump offered the White House press secretary role to UFC CEO Dana White, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters.
  • White stated he will travel to Washington on Monday to meet with the president and discuss the offer.
  • The press secretary position has been vacant since Katie Zacharia's departure last month.

US President Donald Trump has publicly offered the vacant White House press secretary position to Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters reports. Speaking after a boxing event in London, White confirmed he has scheduled a meeting with the president to discuss the proposal.

Key Details

According to Al Jazeera and Reuters, the job offer was announced by President Trump on Truth Social on Saturday. Trump posted that White would be a unique press secretary and urged him to accept the position. In the same message, Trump requested that White bring several assistants, listing six current and former UFC title holders: Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Kayla Harrison, and Amanda Nunes. Trump stated that these individuals are needed to defend against what he termed the "Lunatic Left," as reported by Al Jazeera and Reuters. White stated he will meet with Trump at the White House on Monday to discuss the arrangement.

The White House press secretary role has been vacant since Katie Zacharia's brief tenure ended last month after five days, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. Zacharia had succeeded Karoline Leavitt, who stepped down at the end of August. The White House press office already includes a former UFC spokesperson, Director of Communications Steven Cheung, who worked for White's organisation between 2013 and 2016 and publicly encouraged White to take the job on social media.

Context and Impact

Al Jazeera and Reuters reported that White and Trump have a professional relationship dating back to the early 2000s, which strengthened significantly after the UFC chief publicly endorsed Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. Over the years, Trump has frequently attended UFC events, and the White House hosted a night of fights in June to mark the 250th anniversary of US independence.

Summary and What Next

White stated he will meet with the US president to discuss the offer, while further details regarding the potential appointment remain to be confirmed. Al Jazeera and Reuters noted that no final decision on the press secretary position has been officially announced yet.