Trump taps UFC Chief Dana White for White House press secretary role
Photo: US President Donald Trump
US President Donald Trump has said he wants Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) chief executive Dana White to serve as White House press secretary. He also suggested that White bring several current and former fighters as assistants.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, Trump described White as a “violent Fighter and Warrior” and asked him to take on the communications role.
Trump also named six current or former UFC champions he wanted to join White’s team. They include Russian fighters Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov from the Dagestan region, Americans Justin Gaethje and Daniel Cormier, Kayla Harrison and Brazilian-born Amanda Nunes, who became a US citizen last year.
“We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left,” Trump wrote.
Speaking at a press conference in London on Saturday following a boxing event, White said he would meet Trump at the White House on Monday.
The position of White House press secretary has been vacant since Katie Zacharia left the role last month after serving for less than a week. She had replaced Karoline Leavitt, who stepped down at the end of August.
White and Trump first worked together in the early 2000s when Trump’s Taj Mahal casino hosted several UFC events. Their relationship has grown closer over the years, particularly after White publicly endorsed Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016.
Trump has attended several UFC events in recent years. In June, the White House hosted a night of UFC fights as part of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of US independence.
The White House communications team already includes a former UFC spokesperson. Steven Cheung, who served as the organisation’s spokesperson from 2013 to 2016, currently works as the White House Director of Communications.
Source: Reuters (Adapted)
