Trump Says Dana White Press Secretary Offer Was a Joke

President Donald Trump said he had been joking when he offered UFC chief Dana White the White House press secretary job, and repeated that explanation at a Monday briefing where White said he had no political aspirations.

Trump made the offer in a Truth Social post on Saturday, saying White should bring several mixed martial arts fighters as assistants. White later posted an image of himself at a White House podium with the caption “On to the next chapter,” but did not say he was accepting the position.

On Sunday, Trump told reporters he was only kidding. He said the list of fighters he proposed as assistants was part of the joke and described the post as “a little fun.” He also said White was coming to the White House on Monday for other reasons.

White had said at a news conference in London that he planned to meet Trump on Monday and would have more to discuss afterward. At the White House briefing, he said Trump called him while White was in London for a Zuffa Boxing event and told him about the post. White said he had not explicitly told Trump no about the role, but added, “I have zero political aspirations.”

Trump again characterized the offer as a joke during the briefing,...