Washington DC: Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO Dana White has declined US President Donald Trump’s offer to become the next White House press secretary, saying he has no interest in entering politics.
The 57-year-old made the announcement during an unexpected appearance alongside Trump at the White House on Monday, bringing an end to speculation sparked by the president’s remarks over the weekend.
During a news conference in the James Brady Briefing Room, Trump put White on the spot by publicly asking whether he would accept the high-profile position.
“So let me ask you the big question. Would you like to be press secretary of the United States of America? Or do you just want to stay with this ridiculous UFC?” Trump asked.
White, who has been a longtime friend and supporter of the president, politely declined the offer.
“Thank you for the offer, sir. I do not want to be in politics,” he responded.
Trump appeared to take the rejection in good humour, announcing that he was “devastated” before walking out of the briefing room.
“I am devastated to hear this. Goodbye, everybody,” the president said.
Praising White, Trump described him as a “great guy” but joked that the UFC chief could become intimidating if reporters questioned him for too long.
“The only problem is he’ll talk for a little while, and then he’s going to beat the hell out of you,” Trump added.
Dressed in a black T-shirt and jacket, White also took the opportunity to joke about experiencing the other side of a White House press briefing.
“I’ve always wanted to do this. Who has the first question?” he said, before making his position clear: “I have zero political aspirations.”
White acknowledged that the president’s announcement had caught him off guard, saying the past 24 hours had been particularly hectic.
“The last 24 hours of my life have been insane,” he said.
The exchange followed Trump’s surprise announcement on Saturday that he had offered White the press secretary position. However, the president appeared to walk back the remarks a day later, saying he had been joking.
When asked by a reporter whether he had formally rejected the offer, White offered a more nuanced response, saying he did not want to appear disrespectful to the president.
“I don’t tell the president ‘no’ to anything. I didn’t want to be disrespectful and say anything until he said something first,” he said.
White, who has led the UFC since 2001, has maintained a close relationship with Trump over the years. The president has frequently attended UFC events and has publicly praised White’s leadership of the mixed martial arts organisation.
