Trump says he was joking about offering press secretary job to UFC chief Dana White
President walks back Saturday announcement, calling it 'a little fun' while sharing AI cartoon depicting UFC fighters attacking journalists.
At a glance
- Trump said Sunday he was joking about offering Dana White the press secretary role.
- The president shared an AI cartoon showing UFC fighters assaulting journalists.
- The press secretary position has been empty for three weeks since Katie Zacharia resigned.
Donald Trump said on Sunday that he was "only kidding" when he announced a day earlier that he had offered the White House press secretary position to Dana White, chief executive of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Speaking to reporters while returning to the White House from his Florida beach club, Trump explained the premise of his joke: if the UFC boss took over the briefing room flanked by six fighters, reporters "wouldn't mess around with him so much." Trump added that White "is a very capable guy" and said the inclusion of fighters as assistants made clear it was "just a little fun."
The president also shared an animated AI cartoon on social media created by a supporter. The video depicted UFC fighters beating up journalists and included a racist remark about Michelle Obama made by fighter Josh Hokit during a White House UFC event in June.
Trump claimed his mock announcement drew responses that it was "actually a pretty good idea," though he did not identify who supported the notion. The White House recently aired taxpayer-funded promotional ads featuring footage from the June UFC event and White's repeated praise of Trump as "the toughest, most resilient human being I have ever met in my life."
The press secretary role has been vacant for three weeks. Trump's previous pick, far-right commentator Katie Zacharia, resigned after failing to explain why she described herself as an attorney despite having failed the bar exam.
Questions and answers
- Did Trump actually offer Dana White the press secretary job?
- Trump announced the offer on Saturday but said Sunday it was a joke and he was "only kidding."
- Why is the White House press secretary position vacant?
- Katie Zacharia resigned three weeks ago after failing to explain why she called herself an attorney despite failing the bar exam.
- What was in the AI cartoon Trump shared?
- The cartoon depicted UFC fighters beating up journalists and included a racist remark about Michelle Obama made by fighter Josh Hokit in June.
