Trump retracts Dana White press secretary offer
The president told reporters in Florida on Sunday that his Saturday social media post about the UFC CEO was a joke.
By Pedro Barnes ·
President Donald Trump told reporters in West Palm Beach on Sunday that he was joking when he claimed to have offered the White House press secretary position to UFC chief executive Dana White. The president made the clarification just hours after posting on social media that he had extended the job offer to his friend.
The comments came two days after the administration underwent a leadership change. On Friday, Trump replaced his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, with longtime aide Stephen Miller. Miller has been the primary architect of the administration's hardline immigration policies. The shakeup followed the Republican Party's losses in the midterm elections held Tuesday.
Those elections resulted in historic wins for Democratic candidates, including in districts that Republicans had held for decades. The outcome stripped the GOP of control in both chambers of Congress.
The White House has been without a permanent press secretary since Katie Zacharia left the post after five days. Her tenure ended after she struggled behind the lectern and in interviews. Trump said White is a capable individual and indicated he likes the idea of the role, even if he was initially being playful. White is scheduled to visit the president at the White House on Monday.
Trump spoke to reporters before departing Florida for Washington. He described the social media announcement as a little fun, effectively ending the speculation that the UFC boss would soon be managing the daily news cycle for the executive branch.
