Leavitt’s August departure preceded Zacharia’s October selection; Trump named Miller Friday

Ultimate Fighting Championship chief executive Dana White said he is planning to meet President Trump on Monday about Trump’s offer to make him White House press secretary. Asked about the prospect at a UFC news conference, White said, “I’ve got a lot of jobs already.”

Trump announced the offer in a social-media post on Saturday, writing, “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.” It was not clear whether White would accept the job.

Trump has approached White before about the post, according to a person close to the UFC chief. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Wall Street Journal reported that White and Trump have a close relationship and that Trump has long been a UFC fan. In June, Trump hosted a cage match at the White House on the historic South Lawn as part of the official celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. The event fell on Trump’s 80th birthday and included exclusive access for select VIPs.

The crowd included military servicemembers, administration officials and Trump allies. The Wall Street Journal said the gathering served as “a display of unabashed masculinity.” White had met with Trump about the idea the previous year, Trump was personally involved in the details, and White sat next to the president at the event.

Trump’s ties to White and UFC date to the early 2000s, when the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City hosted mixed martial arts events. The Wall Street Journal said UFC was unwelcome in many venues because of “the brutality of the combat.” White spoke at the 2016 Republican convention, when The Wall Street Journal said Trump “began his takeover of the party.” White also introduced Trump at the 2024 Republican convention. Trump has attended several UFC events as a candidate and president; The Wall Street Journal said the appearances helped him attract support from younger male voters.

In a previous interview with The Wall Street Journal, White said, “I don’t talk politics with him.” He added, “And the only time I talk business with him is fights.”

Karoline Leavitt announced her departure as White House press secretary in August. In October, Trump announced Katie Zacharia as his choice for the role. Zacharia had a brief tenure at the Department of Homeland Security and had appeared as a commentator on several media outlets.

Katie Zacharia lasted five days in the job before stepping down. The Wall Street Journal described her initial press briefing as “widely panned,” and it emerged that she had not passed the bar exam despite referring to herself as a lawyer. Trump has privately complained that he does not have enough political allies defending him on television, The Wall Street Journal previously reported.

The Wall Street Journal wrote that Trump’s social-media post was “the latest sign that the president was gearing up for a combative two years after sweeping Republican losses in the midterms.” In the post, Trump said he needed White and his associates to “defend us against the Lunatic Left.”

On Friday, Trump announced that longtime aide Stephen Miller would replace Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff. The Wall Street Journal described Miller as “the architect of his hard-line immigration policy.” On Saturday, Trump said he was ordering the Justice Department to investigate what he described as threats from Democrats against Republican donors and the attorney general. Democrats have vowed to probe corruption allegations tied to Trump when they take control of Congress next year.