WEST PALM BEACH: US President Donald Trump said Sunday that he was only joking when he offered the role of White House press secretary to Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) chief Dana White earlier in the weekend.
"I was only kidding, but Dana loves the idea," Trump told reporters on the tarmac of his namesake airport in Florida.
The press secretary role -- traditionally one of the administration's most visible positions -- has been vacant since Katie Zacharia left on October 16 after less than a week on the job.
White, the 57-year-old president and CEO of UFC, and is a long-time friend of the president.
Speaking in London late Saturday, White was reticent, saying that he would "have more to talk about" after meeting with Trump on Monday.
White's UFC staged a bloody cage fight on the White House South Lawn on Trump's 80th birthday in June, and he appeared on stage with Trump during his reelection victory speech in 2024.
In a social media post Saturday, Trump implored White to accept his offer, writing, "Dana, please take the job!" and calling him a "violent fighter and warrior."
He also suggested White bring along several fighters as assistants, three of whom were not American.
In his comments Sunday, Trump suggested the inclusion of the fighters "from parts unknown" was how the public should have known it was a joke.
"Of course I was kidding, and you could see that because I put all of the great fighters as his assistants," Trump said.
Trump also confirmed that a meeting with White was still planned for Monday.
