Key Takeaways
- • President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he had offered the White House press secretary job to Dana White, president and CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), via a Truth Social post calling him "the Great Dana White, a violent Fighter and Warrior."
- • Social media users speculated Trump may have confused UFC's Dana White with a former Pentagon communications official also named Dana White, though there is no evidence supporting the mix-up theory.
- • White has not explicitly confirmed he will accept, but shared an AI-generated image of himself at the White House briefing podium captioned "On to the next chapter."
- • The announcement follows the October 16 departure of Katie Zacharia, who held the press secretary role less than a week after being named on October 9.
- • Trump also suggested White could bring six UFC fighters into the White House as advisers, some of whom are not U.S. citizens, including two Russian fighters and one Brazilian.
Summary
President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he had offered the White House press secretary position to Dana White, president and CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and a longtime ally. In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote: "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. Dana, please take the job!" White, who is 57, has not explicitly confirmed whether he will accept. He fuelled speculation by sharing an AI-generated image of himself behind the White House briefing room podium and reposting Trump's announcement.
The announcement triggered an online debate after social media users identified another Dana White, a former Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs who has a background in journalism and communications and an association with the Heritage Foundation. Hedge fund founder Spencer T. Hakimian, of New York-based Tolou Capital Management, joked in a video that Trump had mistaken her for the UFC chief. Journalist and podcast host Vitus Spehar also raised the question on Instagram. The mix-up theory is unverified and rests entirely on social media speculation, and there is no evidence that Trump intended to appoint the former Pentagon official.
The discussion comes as the White House seeks a new press secretary following the departure of Katie Zacharia on October 16, less than a week after she took the role. Zacharia had been named on October 9 as successor to Karoline Leavitt, who became the youngest person to serve in the position. Her first briefing, which lasted 14 minutes, drew criticism for her halting delivery and remarks praising the administration, and she faced questions over claims that she had described herself as a lawyer without having passed a bar examination.
Trump's announcement also suggested White could bring six UFC fighters into the White House as advisers, and said he was open to the idea even though some are not American citizens. The group reportedly includes two Russian fighters and one Brazilian.
The announcement triggered an online debate after social media users identified another Dana White, a former Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs who has a background in journalism and communications and an association with the Heritage Foundation. Hedge fund founder Spencer T. Hakimian, of New York-based Tolou Capital Management, joked in a video that Trump had mistaken her for the UFC chief. Journalist and podcast host Vitus Spehar also raised the question on Instagram. The mix-up theory is unverified and rests entirely on social media speculation, and there is no evidence that Trump intended to appoint the former Pentagon official.
The discussion comes as the White House seeks a new press secretary following the departure of Katie Zacharia on October 16, less than a week after she took the role. Zacharia had been named on October 9 as successor to Karoline Leavitt, who became the youngest person to serve in the position. Her first briefing, which lasted 14 minutes, drew criticism for her halting delivery and remarks praising the administration, and she faced questions over claims that she had described herself as a lawyer without having passed a bar examination.
Trump's announcement also suggested White could bring six UFC fighters into the White House as advisers, and said he was open to the idea even though some are not American citizens. The group reportedly includes two Russian fighters and one Brazilian.
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