The Aporia · Trump says he was 'only kidding' about naming UFC CEO as White House press secretary

President Donald Trump clarified on Sunday that he was joking when he suggested naming UFC CEO Dana White as the next White House press secretary, despite posting photos of fighters who could potentially serve in his administration. He explained the suggestion was meant “just a little fun” and not serious, emphasizing it after speculation arose following his Saturday post about White being a "violent Fighter and Warrior" needed to defend against the "Lunatic Left." Trump plans to meet with White at the White House on Monday for reasons unrelated to the press secretary position.

Written by AI on 2026-11-09, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

Story summary

On November 9, 2026, President Donald Trump clarified that his previous day's offer to appoint UFC CEO Dana White as the new White House press secretary was a joke. Initially, on Truth Social on November 7, Trump announced he had offered the job to White, calling him "the Great Dana White" and suggesting he bring fighters to the White House for assistance. CNN reported that White reportedly declined the position after meeting with Trump in Florida on Monday. However, Trump said he was only joking when questioned by reporters on his way back from a beach club near West Palm Beach, adding that White enjoyed the idea despite not accepting it seriously.

Written for “Trump Kidding About Dana White Press Secretary Offer” on 2026-11-09, grounded in this article and the 25 other(s) covering the same event.

Why this leaning score

The model judged this article politically coded and scored it +0.35, but all 2 of its quote(s) are attributed speech - words the article quotes from someone, not the article's own narration, so the score is not published.

Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.

Leaning score withheld for article 137942: attributed speech only · logged 2026-11-09

This article reads unscored and hedges 40% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

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US President Donald Trump on Sunday said he was “only kidding” when he suggested Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Chief Executive Officer Dana White could become his next White House press secretary, after a social media post a day earlier stirred speculation about recruiting his feisty ally and signalled a combative approach to dealing with Democrats as they prepare to take control of Congress.

2026-11-09 · mixed framing · Trump says he was 'only kidding' about naming UFC CEO as White House press secretary

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Trump says ‘only kidding’ about naming UFC’s Dana White as press secretary Viral post proposing mixed martial arts champions to confront ‘Lunatic Left’ played down as ‘just a little fun’ US President Donald Trump on Sunday said he was “only kidding” when he suggested UFC CEO Dana White could become his next White House press secretary, after a social media post a day earlier stirred speculation about recruiting his feisty ally and signalled a combative approach to dealing with Democrats as they prepare to take control of Congress.

2026-11-09 · mixed framing · Trump says ‘only kidding’ about naming UFC’s Dana White as press secretary

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Trump said White, a prominent supporter, “loves the idea” of taking the job but insisted he had not been serious about the prospect, describing the suggestion as “just a little fun”.

framing: mixed · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-11-09

2026-11-09 · Dawn

Trump says he was 'only kidding' about naming UFC CEO as White House press secretary · mixed framing

they → say → Congress

Trump said White, a prominent supporter, “loves the idea” of taking the job but insisted he had not been serious about the prospect, describing the suggestion as “just a little fun”. asserted

he → say → fun

“I will tell you, I was only kidding,” Trump told reporters, explaining that he had posted photographs of prominent UFC fighters as potential assistants to White as part of the joke. asserted

he → tell → joke

In Saturday’s post, Trump described White as a “violent Fighter and Warrior” and suggested he bring several current or former UFC champions to serve as assistants, saying they were needed to “defend us against the Lunatic Left”. Trump said White would visit him at the White House on Monday, but added that the meeting was planned for other reasons. White, who has led the UFC for more than two decades, has been a close Trump ally and helped mobilise support for his 2024 presidential campaign. uncertain

who → describe → campaign

He has also appeared alongside Trump at several political events and helped bring UFC fights to the White House lawn this year. asserted

He → appear → lawn

Trump says he was 'only kidding' about naming UFC CEO as White House press secretary

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