In short:
US President Donald Trump has backtracked on his announcement to offer Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White the vacant White House press secretary role.
asserted
Trump → backtrack → role
Mr Trump told reporters in Florida five times that he was "only kidding" with his announcement in a Truth Social post.
asserted
he → tell → post
Mr Trump has not hinted at who may be offered the role, which has remained vacant for about a month.
uncertain
which → hint → month
United States President Donald Trump has backtracked on his announcement to offer Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White the vacant White House press secretary role, saying he was "only kidding".
asserted
he → backtrack → role
While speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One in Florida on Sunday evening, local time, Mr Trump said he still expected to speak with Mr White on Monday.
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he → speak → Monday
Mr Trump also said he believed Mr White "loves the idea" of the job offer.
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White → say → offer
In his initial Truth Social post on Saturday, local time, Mr Trump described Mr White as "a violent Fighter and Warrior" and said he could appoint several well-known UFC stars as his assistants.
uncertain
he → describe → assistants
On the tarmac in Florida a day later, the president said the nature of the post was a sign it was a joke.
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it → say → post
He then told reporters that he was kidding five consecutive times in the same address.
"
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he → tell → address
If you saw the assistants, I posted the greatest wrestlers and UFC fighters in the world, right?
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I → see → world
You would've thought that people would've said, 'He's having a good time,'" Mr Trump said.
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Trump → think → time
"I was only kidding, but Dana loves the idea and there's only one Dana …
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Dana → kid → idea
"This was an example of something where I was kidding."
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I → kid → something
Of the six current or former UFC titleholders Mr Trump named in his post, two were athletes from Russia's Dagestan region: Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov.
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two → name → region
Following Mr Trump's Truth Social post, Mr White then posted his own image that appeared to show him standing at a White House lectern in the press briefing room, with a caption that read: "On to the next chapter."
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that → follow → chapter
The pair have forged a close working relationship over more than 20 years since the early 2000s, when Mr Trump's Taj Mahal casino hosted UFC events.
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casino → forge → events
Mr White has also previously spoken at Republican National Conventions in 2016, 2020 and 2024, and joint-hosted the UFC Freedom 250 event on the South Lawn of the White House with Mr Trump in June.
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White → speak → June
Before to Mr Trump's comments in Florida, Politico's White House correspondent Daniel Lippman told ABC NewsRadio he did not believe in the legitimacy of the job offer.
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he → tell → offer
"Usually Trump, when he puts something on social media, he doesn't really joke around that much, he doesn't have a big joke gene …
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he → put → gene
I'm putting my money that this is not real and Trump is just trying to troll and stay in the media," he said.
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he → put → media
Mr Lippman said Mr White, who has an estimated net worth in excess of $US600 million according to Forbes, would need to take "a big pay cut" to enter the Trump administration.
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who → say → administration
He also questioned whether Mr White would have the political experience and knowledge necessary to be a successful White House staffer.
"Trump does want a fighter for his next press secretary, especially as Democrats control Capitol Hill and they will be hounding him," he said.
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he → question → him
"Maybe [Mr White] just wouldn't have press briefings and he would just be more of a symbolic head of the White House press office."
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he → have → office
The White House press secretary posting has remained vacant for close to a month after Katie Zacharia left the position less than a week into the role.
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Zacharia → remain → role
Mr Trump's post about Mr White came a day after he announced that his chief of staff Susie Wiles would be replaced by her hardline deputy Stephen Miller.
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chief → come → deputy
On Sunday, local time, CBS News reported that a day after his appointment, Mr Miller revealed Richard Walters — a known ally of Ms Wiles who had replaced Mr Miller as deputy chief of staff — would be leaving the role.
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who → report → role
"While he will be leaving us, Richard will continue to help from the outside as we continue to work with all of our strength to deliver for President Trump and his courageous fight to save America," Mr Miller said, according to CBS News.
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Miller → leave → News
The series of White House appointment changes comes days after the Trump administration and Republican Party suffered deep losses in nationwide midterm elections.
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administration → come → elections
The GOP lost control of the House of Representatives and the Senate to the Democrats.
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GOP → lose → Democrats
The Aporia
