Trump Offers UFC's Dana White $195,000 Press Secretary Job

President Trump said Saturday he has offered the job of press secretary to Dana White, chief executive of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, in a social media post that described the fight promoter as "a violent Fighter and Warrior." The president added that he wants the executive to bring six UFC fighters along as press aides. "We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left," Trump wrote, according to the Guardian. "Dana, please take the job!"

What exactly did Trump say in his post?

The Truth Social message, illustrated with seven images, framed the offer as a response to hostile media coverage rather than a conventional staffing announcement. Trump campaigned on combativeness toward reporters, and the UFC boss has long been a visible ally, staging a cage-fighting event on the executive mansion's grounds in June to mark the president's 80th birthday. The Guardian noted it was initially unclear whether the proposal reflected an actual hiring plan or a bid to shift attention from election losses suffered by Trump's party earlier in the week.

Has the UFC executive accepted the offer?

No answer has been given either way. CNN reported Saturday that the fight promoter had already turned the job down and that a Trump aide described the post as a joke, according to the Guardian's account. Hours later, the executive posted an Instagram story showing himself standing in the press briefing room with the caption "On to the next chapter," an image that read as encouragement without confirming anything. Asked directly at a London news conference following a boxing card, he said only, "I'm flying to Washington DC right now" to meet the president Monday. "I'm going to meet with him, we have a meeting on Monday, so I'm sure I'll have more to talk about after that," he told reporters, per the Guardian.

What does the press secretary job pay, and what would he give up?

The role carries an annual salary of $195,000, according to the Guardian. The UFC leader's fortune from running the promotion has been estimated at more than $600 million, a gap several observers cited as a reason he might hesitate before trading a private-sector payday for government service.

By the numbers

• $195,000 — annual salary for the press secretary post
• $600 million+ — estimated personal fortune tied to running UFC

Why would Trump make this offer now?

The timing follows a round of elections this week that the Guardian described as costly for Trump's party, and the post arrived amid questions about whether the announcement was a serious personnel move or a deliberate distraction. Trump has not named an alternative candidate, and no administration official has publicly detailed a transition plan for the current press secretary's duties.

What happens at Monday's meeting?

The UFC executive's own language — a Washington trip and a promise to "have more to talk about" afterward — leaves the decision open. No readout of the meeting, nor any written response from the fighter-turned-promoter, has been issued. Until then, the only public positions on record are Trump's enthusiastic post, the Instagram image, and the noncommittal remarks given to reporters in London, as reported by The Guardian.