Focus Keyword: Trump only kidding Dana White press secretary Meta Description: Trump only kidding Dana White press secretary: the president said on Sunday that his offer to the UFC chief was a joke and White will not take the job.
President Donald Trump said on Sunday, November 8, 2026, that he was only kidding when he announced that he had offered UFC chief executive Dana White the job of White House press secretary. Trump spoke to reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida, before he left for the White House, and he made it clear that the offer was a joke. “I will tell you, I was only kidding,” he said. The comment ended a day of talk about whether White would really take the job. Trump said White is still coming to the White House on Monday, November 9, but for other reasons, not to start work as press secretary.
Quick Facts
| Detail | What happened |
|---|---|
| Main news | Trump said he was only kidding about offering Dana White the press secretary job |
| Date of the comment | Sunday, November 8, 2026 |
| Where Trump spoke | West Palm Beach, Florida, before departing for the White House |
| Original announcement | Saturday, November 7, 2026, in a post on Truth Social |
| Dana White | UFC chief executive, age 57 |
| White House visit | White is still coming to the White House on Monday, November 9, for other reasons |
| Press secretary job | Open since Katie Zacharia left after five days in October 2026 |
| Chief of staff | Stephen Miller starts as chief of staff on Monday, November 9 |
What Trump Said on Sunday
Trump gave his answer in plain words. He told reporters that the offer was not real. “I will tell you, I was only kidding,” he said. The remark came one day after his Truth Social post had set off a wave of talk about whether a fight promoter could really become the public voice of the White House.
Trump also said the joke should have been easy to spot. He said the list of fighters in his post should have given it away, since the post had asked White to bring a group of well known fighters as assistants. He added that White “loves the idea” of being press secretary, which kept the tone light even as he made clear that no job offer was real.
Trump also spoke warmly about White himself. “There is only one Dana. He is great,” he said. The two men have known each other for years, and White has been a visible supporter of Trump. That long public friendship is one reason the post was hard for many people to read at first.
It was a short exchange, not a long speech. He gave the key line, pointed to the fighter list as the clue, praised White, and moved on. By the end of it, the main question was settled. White is not becoming press secretary, and the post was a joke.
How the Joke Started on Saturday
The story began on Saturday, November 7, when Trump posted on Truth Social that he was “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.” The post read like a real announcement, which is one reason so many people took it seriously at first.
The post asked White to bring assistants with him. It named Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harrison, although the post spelled the last name as “Kayla Harris,” which appeared to be a reference to Kayla Harrison. The idea of a press secretary arriving with a team of champion fighters was striking, and Trump later said it should have shown people it was a joke.
Trump closed the post by writing “Dana will be a Press Secretary like none other” and “Dana, please take the job!” The words sounded like a real plea, and they spread fast. The Trump offers Dana White press secretary job story drew wide attention because the idea was so unusual, and because White is such a well known figure in sports.
How Dana White Reacted
White, 57, leaned into the idea at first. He posted a photo of himself standing behind the White House press secretary lectern on his Instagram Stories with the caption “On to the next chapter.” The photo looked like the start of a new role, and it added to the sense that something real might be happening.
At a post-fight news conference in London on Saturday evening, White said he was flying to Washington right away and would meet Trump on Monday. White did not say in that moment that the job offer was a joke, and his words left the door open for more talk through the weekend.
Trump said on Sunday that White is still coming to the White House on Monday, November 9, but for other reasons, not the press secretary job. That detail matters, because it means the Monday meeting is still on, even though the job offer is off the table. The two men will still meet, but the meeting will not be about White starting work at the podium.
CNN reported that White had already turned the job down, citing a source familiar with the matter, while a White House aide told the network the president had been kidding. Together, the two accounts leave no real doubt that White will not become press secretary.
Why the Press Secretary Job Is Open
The joke landed at a time when the press secretary job is genuinely open. The position has been empty since Katie Zacharia left after only five days on the job in October 2026, about three weeks ago, and the White House has not yet named a permanent replacement.
That gap is one reason the post was so easy to believe. When a job is open, people expect a name to fill it. White is not a political spokesman, but he is a famous and forceful public figure, and Trump has a record of picking people from outside the usual political world for key roles.
A five day stay is very short for such a public role, and it left the White House looking for a new voice at the podium. In that setting, a bold announcement about a new press secretary did not seem out of place, even if the person named was a fight promoter. The search is still going on, and Trump has not said who will take the role.
A Busy Weekend at the White House
The Dana White story was not the only staff news of the weekend. On Friday, November 6, Trump named longtime aide Stephen Miller as his new chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles. Miller starts on Monday, November 9, the same day White is set to visit the White House. The Stephen Miller promotion angers industries report covered the reaction to that move.
Trump also made other news in the same period. The Trump orders DOJ to investigate Democrats report covered a separate order from the president.
The mix of real news and a joke is part of why the White post was hard to read at first. When a president is making real staff changes in the same weekend, a post about a new press secretary can look like one more real move. Trump said on Sunday that the fighter list should have been the clue, but for many readers the post looked like a normal announcement until he said otherwise.
What Happens Next
The clearest next step is the Monday meeting. White is still coming to the White House on Monday, November 9, and Trump has said the visit is for other reasons. The visit is on, the job offer is not, and that is where the story stands.
The press secretary search will also go on. The White House will need to name someone to fill it. Trump has not given a timetable, and no new name has been put forward in the facts available here.
For White, the weekend ends with his name in the news for a job he will not take. He will return to his work at the UFC, where he remains chief executive. The photo behind the lectern will stay as a fun moment from the weekend, not as the start of a new career in politics.
FAQs
Did Trump really offer Dana White the press secretary job?
No. Trump said on Sunday, November 8, 2026, that he was only kidding when he posted on Saturday that White had been offered the job. He told reporters, “I will tell you, I was only kidding.” CNN also reported that White had already turned the job down, while a White House aide told the network the president had been kidding.
What did Trump say in his original post on Saturday?
On Saturday, November 7, Trump posted on Truth Social that he was “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.” The post asked White to bring assistants including Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harrison, although the post spelled the last name as “Kayla Harris.”
Is Dana White still coming to the White House on Monday?
Yes. Trump said on Sunday that White is still coming to the White House on Monday, November 9, but for other reasons, not the press secretary job. White had also said in London on Saturday evening that he was flying to Washington right away and would meet Trump on Monday.
Why is the press secretary job open?
The job has been open since Katie Zacharia left after only five days on the job in October 2026. The position has been empty for about three weeks. No permanent replacement has been named in the facts available here.
Sources
Final Thoughts
This was a joke that looked real for about a day. Trump posted like he was making a real announcement, White played along with a photo behind the lectern, and the open press secretary job made the whole thing easy to believe. Then Trump said the words that ended it.
The story is a good reminder to wait for the follow up before treating a social media post as settled news. A post can travel fast, and a famous name can make it travel faster, but the facts can still change with one short comment to reporters. In this case, the comment came the next day, and it was clear.
