UFC CEO Dana White appeared alongside President Donald Trump at a White House press briefing Monday, where Trump said his recent suggestion that White become press secretary was a joke.
Trump made an unexpected appearance to address reports that he had contacted White about the job after a difficult stretch in the news. He said he had been having a bad press day when he mentioned White, a longtime friend, to reporters. Trump said he was kidding, but the comment was later reported as a serious offer.
White also spoke at the briefing, saying he had no interest in pursuing a political role. He said Trump called while White was in London for a Zuffa Boxing event, and that the ensuing attention had made the past day unusually hectic.
Asked to imagine a UFC cage match between Trump and former President Joe Biden, White instead talked about Trump’s resilience. He said he had considered Trump exceptionally tough for years, but that Trump’s response after being shot showed him to be uniquely strong.
White dismissed the idea of a Trump-Biden bout, saying it would go badly, and seemed surprised that the question had been put to him. He added that he had never directly told Trump he would not take the press secretary position.
Before leaving, White was asked what advice he would offer Trump about a possible posthumous pardon for baseball great Pete Rose, who died in 2024.
Rose was barred from Hall of Fame eligibility after betting on baseball, including games involving his own team, the Cincinnati Reds. In 2025, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred removed Rose and 16 other deceased individuals from the permanently ineligible list.
Trump said at the briefing that he supports pardoning Rose.
