United States: UFC President Dana White refuses spokesperson offer launched by Trump

The White House will still have to wait to find its next spokesperson. Dana White, head of the UFC, the world's leading mixed martial arts (MMA) organization, declined Donald Trump's proposal on Monday, formulated in a joking tone. The two men appeared together, to the surprise of journalists, in the press room of the American presidency.

“Thank you for the offer, sir,” said Dana White before clarifying: “I don’t want to get into politics.” The American president showed disappointment in the face of this refusal. “I’m devastated to hear that,” he replied, feigning sadness, before leaving the room with his guest. Donald Trump mentioned this nomination on Saturday on Truth Social, then assured shortly after that he was joking.

Dana White, fervent supporter of Donald Trump

Despite his stated desire to stay away from politics, Dana White, 57, is a fervent supporter of the American president, whom he describes as his “buddy”. The UFC boss spoke at the inauguration of Donald Trump at the Republican convention in July 2024. He also spoke on stage on November 6, 2024, during the speech celebrating his victory in the presidential election.

A conservative and masculinist figure, Dana White has since joined the board of directors of Meta, parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. This arrival symbolizes the conservative turn of Mark Zuckerberg, himself a fan of MMA. The leader of the UFC thus maintains links with the American president while occupying a place within the technological group.

Other changes should come

The position of spokesperson has been vacant since the ouster of Katie Zacharia on October 16, after only five days in office. This conservative commentator left a laborious impression during the only briefing she hosted. She was also accused of lying about her qualifications as a lawyer.

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