U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday he was “only kidding” when he suggested UFC chief executive Dana White could become his next White House press secretary, backing away from a social media post that had fuelled speculation about the role.

“I will tell you, I was only kidding,” Trump told reporters, according to Reuters reporting published by CBC. He described the suggestion as “just a little fun” and said photographs of UFC fighters he had proposed as White’s assistants were part of the joke.

In Saturday’s post, Trump called White a “violent Fighter and Warrior” and suggested several current or former UFC champions could join him to help “defend us against the Lunatic Left.”

Trump said Sunday that White “loves the idea” of taking the job, while insisting the suggestion was not serious. He also said White would visit him at the White House on Monday, but that the meeting had been arranged for other reasons.

White, who has led the Ultimate Fighting Championship for more than two decades, is a longtime Trump ally who helped mobilize support for his 2024 presidential campaign.

Sources