{
  "id": 19252354,
  "title": "UFC chief takes White House podium, but turns down Trump",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/ufc-chief-takes-white-house-podium-but-turns-down-trump-19252354",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-09T23:33:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/11/10/ufc-chief-takes-white-house-podium-but-turns-down-trump"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "UFC CEO Dana White addressed reporters at the White House on Monday, but he declined an offer from President Donald Trump to become the press secretary. Trump had jokingly presented the role to White during a chaotic question-and-answer session in the James S. Brady press briefing room. Expressing gratitude for the offer, White firmly stated that he did not wish to engage in politics. The 80-year-old president had suggested the position to White just days after Katie Zacharia stepped down as press secretary on October 16, having served for less than a week. Trump later clarified on Sunday that his remark was only a joke, though he added that White found the idea appealing. White, a 57-year-old friend of the president, previously hosted a major UFC event on the White House lawn earlier this year.",
  "summary": "Dana White said he wanted to stay out of politics after US president Donald Trump apparently joked about offering him the role of press secretary.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 9,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Dawn",
        "title": "Trump says he was 'only kidding' about naming UFC CEO as White House press secretary",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/trump-says-he-was-only-kidding-about-naming-ufc-ceo-as-white-house",
        "published": "2026-11-09T08:58:43.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Forbes",
        "title": "UFC CEO Dana White Will Visit White House Today—After Trump Says He Was ‘Kidding’ With Press Secretary Offer",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/ufc-ceo-dana-white-will-visit-white-house-today-after-trump-says-he",
        "published": "2026-11-09T14:51:59.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Times of India",
        "title": "White House under lockdown as car crashes in secure area; Trump was inside residence",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/white-house-under-lockdown-as-car-crashes-in-secure-area-trump-was",
        "published": "2026-11-09T16:09:01.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "PBS NewsHour",
        "title": "Trump says idea to make UFC's Dana White his press secretary 'just a little fun'",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/trump-says-idea-to-make-ufcs-dana-white-his-press-secretary-just-a",
        "published": "2026-11-09T16:25:14.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Newsweek",
        "title": "Top Takeaways From Trump's Wild White House Press Event With Dana White",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/top-takeaways-from-trumps-wild-white-house-press-event-with-dana-white",
        "published": "2026-11-09T22:46:15.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Deadline",
        "title": "Trump Appears With Dana White After “Kidding” Over Press Secretary Role; POTUS Defends Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, Calls Midterm Results “Ridiculous”",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/trump-appears-with-dana-white-after-kidding-over-press-secretary-role",
        "published": "2026-11-09T22:49:04.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "UFC’s Dana White appears with Trump at a White House briefing – but won’t be his press secretary",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/10/ufcs-dana-white-appears-with-trump-at-a-white-house-briefing-but-wont",
        "published": "2026-11-10T00:09:57.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "UFC chief Dana White turns down Trump's offer to become White House press secretary",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/10/ufc-chief-dana-white-turns-down-trumps-offer-to-become-white-house",
        "published": "2026-11-10T00:20:09.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}