U.S. President Donald Trump appeared with UFC president Dana White in the James Brady Press Briefing Room on Nov. 9, 2026, after previously suggesting White for White House press secretary as a joke.
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U.S. President Donald Trump made a surprise appearance before reporters on Monday, Nov. 9, 2026, in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House alongside UFC president and CEO Dana White.
In the briefing, Trump briefly stood aside as White took questions, prompting White to say, “I’ve always wanted to do this,” before adding, “Who has the first question?” White then clarified, “I have zero political aspirations.”
Trump also said the setup was meant as a bit after he described having a “very bad press day” and suggested White as a humorous option for the role of White House press secretary, adding, “We thought we’d have a little fun and we brought Dana here,” and stating White “would be fantastic.”
The briefing followed Trump’s weekend post that said he wanted “the Great Dana White, a violent Fighter and Warrior” as his next chief spokesman, which caught White off-guard when it was announced.
White said on Monday that he had been contacted about the idea: “He called me and told me that he had done this.” White added, “The last 24 hours of my life has been insane.”
During the session, some reporters played along with the press-secretary premise. When asked for advice about a possible posthumous pardon for baseball great Pete Rose, White said, “I don’t advise the president on anything ever,” but added, “But yeah, I think it’s fair,” before Trump interjected that he “would give Pete Rose a pardon.”
After answering about half an hour of questions that included the midterm elections and the war in Iran, Trump turned back to White and asked whether he wanted to be “press secretary of the United States of America” or “just want to stay with this ridiculous UFC?”
White thanked Trump for the offer but reiterated he did not want politics, saying, “I do not want to be in politics, no.”
Hours after Trump’s Saturday post, neither the White House nor UFC provided clarity on whether it was serious. On Sunday night, Trump later said, “I was kidding, but I think Dana likes the idea, and he is a very capable guy.”
The White House press secretary role has been vacant since Karoline Leavitt left at the end of August, following a brief, tumultuous period when Trump tried Katie Zacharia in the job; she left after five days and struggled in her only appearance before reporters.
Trump and White have been friends for decades and have attended UFC events together frequently, with White speaking at the last three Republican National Conventions.
Trump previously allowed White’s sport to take over the White House’s South Lawn in June for celebrations marking America’s 250th year of independence and the president’s 80th birthday, when a wire-mesh Octagon was constructed under “The Claw,” a large metal arch fitted with lights, sound equipment and large screens.
Describing White before reporters, Trump said in the briefing room, “He’s really very unique. The only problem is he’ll talk for a little while and then he’s going to beat the hell out of you.”
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