After being rejected, Trump backtracked on the offer to the UFC CEO: 'I was just joking'

US President Donald Trump clarified that his offer to appoint UFC CEO Dana White as White House press secretary was just a joke, after White rejected the proposal. Trump posted on Truth Social calling on White to take the role and bring MMA fighters as assistants.

US President Donald Trump clarified that his offer to appoint UFC CEO Dana White as White House press secretary was just a joke, not a formal appointment. The clarification comes after sources who spoke with CNN said White rejected the offer. On Saturday, Trump posted on the social network Truth Social, calling on White to take the role and even asking him to bring MMA fighters as assistants to 'protect the United States from the crazy left.' On Sunday, Trump told reporters it was just amusement, but noted that White himself 'liked the idea.' The position of White House press secretary has been vacant since October, after the previous spokesperson, Katie Zakaria, resigned after less than five days. The offer came against the backdrop of the Republicans' loss in the midterm elections, in which they lost their majority in both houses of Congress.