US president Donald Trump said he was "only kidding" about asking UFC boss Dana White to be his press secretary. Trump caused a stir on Saturday by suggesting the move on social media. On Sunday, he told reporters he was just having a good time with the idea instead.
US president caused a media flurry by announcing he had invited Dana White to be White House press secretary
Donald Trump said he was "only kidding" about asking Ultimate Fighting Championship boss Dana White to become his press secretary, one day after he caused a stir by floating the mixed martial arts executive for the position.
The US president posted on Truth Social on Saturday that he had asked White to join the administration and bring a squad of mixed martial arts fighters as assistants. Speculation grew after White said he would meet Trump on Monday.
But Trump told reporters on Sunday that he had just been "having a good time" and that the post had been made in jest.
"I will tell you: I was only kidding," the president said as he boarded Air Force One in Palm Beach en route back to the White House. "But Dana loves the idea. And there's only one Dana . . . you wouldn't mess around with him so much."
The position of White House press secretary has been vacant since Trump sacked Katie Zacharia last month after just five days in the role.
Trump has made a number of unorthodox selections in the past, appointing various celebrities to senior roles within the administration, and the suggestion that White could take up the position was taken seriously.
Education secretary Linda McMahon was previously chief executive of World Wrestling Entertainment, while defence secretary Pete Hegseth was a Fox News presenter.
Trump said that White would be in Washington on Monday "for other reasons" and would meet the president while he was in town.
He added that, given the "rough faces" he had suggested White bring with him, "you would have thought that people would have said: he's having a good time". But he insisted White's candidacy had been well received.
"That was an example of something where I was kidding. And then people said, You know, that's actually a pretty good idea," Trump said.
White has long been a vocal supporter of the president, whom he describes as a close friend. He joined Trump on the campaign trail and has spoken at many of his rallies.