The tumultuous White House press secretary job vacancy remains open — for now.
Dana White, longtime president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, said on Monday that he will not be the US’s next press secretary, despite President Donald Trump’s many requests.
Trump, who has been short of a press secretary since Katie Zacharia quit five days into her tenure, floated White for the job over the weekend on Truth Social.
“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,” he wrote, adding, “Dana, please take the job!”
He reiterated his offer in a presser on Monday, saying White would do a “hell of a job,” before calling the UFC leader to the podium.
White initially skirted around the topic, saying that while he had “no political aspirations,” he doesn’t say no to Trump for anything.
White then stood beside Trump as he answered questions about last week’s midterm elections, Jensen Huang’s cheating scandal, and the war in Iran.
But toward the end of the presser, Trump asked White directly whether he would like to take the job or “stay with this ridiculous UFC.”
“Thank you for the offer, sir,” White replied. “I do not want to be in politics.”
Trump replied that he was “devastated” to hear it, before ending the presser.
White and Trump have had a decadeslong friendship, dating back to Trump’s days as a casino tycoon.
A challenging vacancy to fill
The role of White House press secretary has been largely vacant since the end of August, when former secretary Karoline Leavitt left the job, saying she planned to focus on parenthood.
Leavitt, 29, took the job as Trump’s press secretary when she was 27 in 2024, which made her the youngest person to fill the role in the White House’s history. But she resigned before the administration hit its halfway mark.
In August, Leavitt wrote on X, “Being a mother and welcoming a new baby while working in one of the most demanding jobs in the world has been the most rewarding yet challenging season of my life, to say the least.”
In a Truth Social post about her departure, Trump called Leavitt “one of my most trusted aides” and said he respected her decision to leave.
She was soon replaced by Katie Zacharia in October, whose stint lasted all of five days.
Zacharia held a 14-minute press conference on October 13, during which she mostly read from prepared remarks. Later, while answering questions alongside Trump, she was unable to provide a satisfactory answer about where she passed the bar exam, leading to scrutiny of her credentials.
A White House official later told Business Insider that Zacharia would be “transitioning out” of the role.
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