Donald Trump Left ‘Devastated’ After Dana White Chooses ‘Ridiculous UFC’ Over Politics

President Donald Trump brought UFC CEO Dana White up to the White House briefing room podium on Monday, playfully asking him one last time if he wanted to become the next White House press secretary. 

In front of a room full of reporters, White officially turned down the offer, stating that he has no interest in getting into politics.

Dana White Tells Donald Trump He Wants No Part of Politics

The high-profile position has been vacant since mid-October, when Katie Zacharia abruptly left the administration after spending just five days in the role. Following her departure, the 80-year-old president decided to have "a little fun" over the weekend while visiting West Palm Beach, Florida. He posted on Truth Social that he had offered the job to White, only to later clarify that he was just kidding before flying out of Florida. 

At the time of the viral post, White was across the Atlantic in London managing a Zuffa Boxing event. When asked at the event whether he could realistically balance the White House with managing the UFC and Zuffa Boxing, White made it clear that his focus remains entirely on his sports promotions.

On Monday, both men landed in Washington, D.C., for a pre-planned meeting at the White House and put an end to this sarcasm. After talking about the midterms and the war in Iran, Trump directly asked White, "Dana, would you like to be Press Secretary of the United States of America? Or do you want to stay with this ridiculous UFC?"

The UFC boss thanked the president for the opportunity but set the record straight: “I do not want to be in politics.”

Donald Trump Adds Levity to Situation

When White denied the offer without any hesitation, Trump jokingly told reporters, "I am devastated to hear this." Trump kept the tone light throughout the briefing, even joking that White would talk briefly before he started beating up reporters.

Trump and White admire each other a lot. Their partnership made history on June 14, when White hosted UFC Freedom 250 on the White House South Lawn. It celebrated both Trump's 80th birthday and America's 250th anniversary. 

Now that the playful sarcasm surrounding the press secretary job is officially over, it remains to be seen who the Trump administration will ultimately select to fill the still-vacant post.