What was US President Donald Trump thinking when he decided to name UFC CEO Dana White as his potential new press secretary? The reason may be a little less random (but no less stupid) than you expect.
On Saturday (Nov. 7, 2026), Trump took to social media to suggest White takes the free role … we think Nicki Minaj didn’t go through? The whole thing came across as a joke – Trump also advised White to bring in several UFC fighters as “assistants” to help “protect us against the crazy left.”
The post went viral and has made headlines everywhere. It’s a nice distraction from all the negative press Trump has been getting since his party got hammered in the US midterm elections last week. Maybe that’s why Dana White is now playing along and saying he will visit Trump on Monday to discuss the offer.
But what made Trump recommend White in the first place? According to reporters close to the White House, Trump’s appointment came after his former chief of staff, Susie Wiles, recommended another Dana White as press secretary: Dana W. White, the former Pentagon chief spokesman. Trump then yelled at Wiles, fired him and replaced him with Stephen Miller. Instead of hiring Dana W. White, he then posted about UFC Dana White.
Some publications suggest Trump did not knowing the difference between two whites, calling it a Four Seasons redux. What’s even more likely is that Trump saw Wiles’ suggestion of Dana W. White, shared his buddy Dana White’s role, and decided to make a funny post about it. Now that he’s gotten a kick out of it in the press, he’s leaning in and moving on stirred up drama as long as everyone is paying attention.
As for White, he’s returning to Washington at a time of massive turmoil over Trump’s presidency and showing he’s still a loyal ally at a time when those are hard to come by. This should come as no surprise to sports fans: White was one of the few who didn’t turn back On Trump after he lost the 2020 election. This support is paid off for the UFC in many ways over the past few years. We’ll see if that continues to pay dividends as Trump’s popularity fluctuates.