Trump says offer to UFC boss Dana White as press secretary was a joke
The former president clarified the social media post was not serious, though he said White 'likes the idea'.
WEST PALM BEACH · Donald Trump said Sunday he was not serious when he offered the job of White House press secretary to UFC chief executive Dana White. The former president told reporters in Florida the announcement he made on social media a day earlier was "just a little fun." He said White, a close friend and supporter, would still visit him at the White House on Monday but for unrelated reasons. "I will tell you, I was only kidding," Trump said. "I was kidding, but I think Dana likes the idea, and he is a very capable guy."
In his Saturday post on Truth Social, Trump described White as a "violent Fighter and Warrior" and said he had offered him the spokesperson role. He suggested White bring several UFC champions as assistants to "defend us against the Lunatic Left." Trump explained Sunday that the idea was a joke about having fighters in the briefing room so reporters "wouldn't mess around with him so much." He said some people had since told him it was "actually a pretty good idea."
White responded to the post by sharing an AI-generated image of himself at the White House lectern on Instagram with the caption "On to the next chapter." He also added a screenshot of Trump's announcement to his story. White had said at a boxing event in London on Saturday that he was heading to Washington and had a Monday meeting scheduled with Trump. The UFC boss has been a prominent Trump ally for years and helped organize a fight on the White House lawn this summer.
READ MORE: Trump revives call for Canada to be '51st state' at Arizona rally
READ MORE: Israeli president tasks Gadi Eisenkot with forming government
The press secretary position has been empty for about three weeks. The previous holder, commentator Katie Zacharia, resigned after less than a week following a difficult public briefing and questions about her professional background. She had replaced Karoline Leavitt, who left the role in late August. The search for a new spokesperson comes amid other senior staff changes in Trump's administration.
Trump named Stephen Miller, a longtime aide, as his new chief of staff on Friday. Miller replaces Susie Wiles, who stepped down after the Republican party's losses in the midterm elections cost them control of Congress. Miller is known as the architect of the administration's hardline immigration policies. He had previously served as deputy chief of staff under Wiles.
With files from CityNews, CBC News and The Guardian