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U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said he was “only kidding” when he suggested UFC CEO Dana White could become his next White House press secretary, after a social media post a day earlier stirred speculation about recruiting his feisty ally and signalled a combative approach to dealing with Democrats as they prepare to take control of Congress.
Trump said White, a prominent supporter, “loves the idea” of taking the job but insisted he had not been serious about the prospect, describing the suggestion as “just a little fun.”
“I will tell you, I was only kidding,” Trump told reporters, explaining that he had posted photographs of prominent UFC fighters as potential assistants to White as part of the joke.
In Saturday’s postTrump described White as a “violent Fighter and Warrior” and suggested he bring several current or former UFC champions to serve as assistants, saying they were needed to “defend us against the Lunatic Left.”
Trump said White would visit him at the White House on Monday, but added that the meeting was planned for other reasons.
White, who has led the Ultimate Fighting Championship for more than two decades, has been a close Trump ally and helped mobilize support for his 2024 presidential campaign.
He has also appeared alongside Trump at several political events and helped bring UFC fights to the White House lawn this year.
U.S. President Donald Trump promoted trusted, hardline adviser Stephen Miller to chief of staff on Friday, in a sign he may come out swinging after the Democrats’ resounding victories in Tuesday’s midterm elections.
The White House press secretary role has been vacant since Katie Zacharia’s tenure ended last month after less than a week as she struggled in her lone media briefing. Zacharia, whose statements about her credentials as a lawyer came under scrutiny, replaced Karoline Leavitt, who left the role at the end of August.
The next press secretary will take direction from a new White House chief of staff. Trump on Friday named longtime aide Stephen Miller to the post, replacing Susie Wiles, who had served since the beginning of the president’s second administration.
Miller, who had been deputy chief of staff under Wiles, is viewed as the chief White House official driving Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown.
Source: www.cbc.ca
