{
  "id": 19068631,
  "title": "Trump says offer of press secretary role to UFC chief was a joke",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/trump-says-offer-of-press-secretary-role-to-ufc-chief-was-a-joke-19068631",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-09T01:46:37.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/11/09/trump-says-offer-of-press-secretary-role-to-ufc-chief-was-a-joke"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "US President Donald Trump joked on Sunday about offering the position of White House press secretary to Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) chief Dana White, according to remarks made to reporters on the tarmac of his Florida namesake airport. Trump told reporters that he was \"only kidding,\" but White appears to be enthusiastic about the idea, as he told reporters that he would have \"more to talk about\" after meeting with the president on Monday.\n\nWhite, 57, is a long-time friend of the president and serves as president and CEO of UFC. In June, UFC staged a cage fight on the White House South Lawn during Trump's 80th birthday celebration. On Saturday, Trump urged White to accept the offer, calling him a \"violent fighter and warrior\" and suggesting that White bring alongside several fighters as assistants, three of whom were not American. Trump also confirmed that a meeting with White was still scheduled for Monday.",
  "summary": "The press secretary role, one of the administration's most visible positions, has been vacant since Katie Zacharia left less than a week after taking the job.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "Could UFC boss Dana White be next White House press secretary?",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/could-ufc-boss-dana-white-be-next-white-house-press-secretary",
        "published": "2026-11-08T11:57:05.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CBC News",
        "title": "Trump insists he was 'only kidding' about wanting UFC's Dana White as press secretary",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/trump-insists-he-was-only-kidding-about-wanting-ufcs-dana-white-as",
        "published": "2026-11-08T23:56:01.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Toronto Sun",
        "title": "Donald Trump says offer of press secretary role to UFC chief was a joke",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/donald-trump-says-offer-of-press-secretary-role-to-ufc-chief-was-a",
        "published": "2026-11-09T01:59:25.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}