'I was only kidding': Trump walks back offer to make UFC chief Dana White press secretary

US President Donald Trump has clarified that he was joking when he suggested appointing Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO Dana White as the next White House press secretary, walking back a social media post that had triggered speculation about a surprise appointment.“I will tell you, I was only kidding,” Trump told reporters in Florida on Sunday, describing the suggestion as “just a little fun”.He added that White liked the idea and was capable of doing the job. The UFC chief is scheduled to visit Trump at the White House on Monday, although the president said the meeting was planned for other reasons.The clarification came a day after Trump announced on Truth Social that he had offered White the high-profile position. In the post, he described the UFC boss as a “violent Fighter and Warrior” and urged him to take the job.Trump also suggested that White bring several current and former UFC champions as assistants, saying they were needed to “defend us against the Lunatic Left”.White, a longtime Trump ally and prominent supporter of his 2024 presidential campaign, appeared to initially play along with the announcement. He shared an Instagram story featuring himself against a White House backdrop, captioned “On to the next chapter”, and reposted Trump's announcement.The post also triggered online speculation about a possible name mix-up involving another Dana White, a former Pentagon public affairs official. However, there is no confirmation that Trump confused the two.The White House press secretary is the administration's primary public spokesperson, responsible for briefing journalists, communicating presidential decisions and defending the government's policies.Trump currently does not have a press secretary, making the prospect of an appointment significant. His suggestion about White came amid a broader shake-up of his administration following Republican losses in the midterm elections.On Friday, Trump named longtime aide Stephen Miller as his new chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles. Miller has been a key architect of the administration's hardline immigration policies.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.