'Nobody Is Allowed to Correct Him:' Trump's UFC Dana White Offer Sparks Bizarre Pentagon Mix-Up Theory

Donald Trump wants UFC boss Dana White to be his next press secretary, and the internet has a theory about why: he picked the wrong Dana White.

Trump made the offer on Saturday in a post praising White as 'a violent Fighter and Warrior'. Within hours, viral posts claimed he had confused the UFC chief with Dana W. White, a former chief Pentagon spokesperson.

There is no evidence that a mix-up took place.

'Dana, Please Take The Job!'

Trump posted the offer on Saturday 7 November from his Florida golf club, calling his friend 'the Great Dana White, a violent Fighter and Warrior', PBS NewsHour reported. He asked White to bring UFC fighters as 'assistants', writing: 'We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left.'

'Dana will be a Press Secretary like none other,' Trump wrote. 'Dana, please take the job!'

White, who was in London for a boxing event, shared the post on Instagram with an image of himself at the White House briefing room podium, captioned 'On to the next chapter'. CNN reported, citing a source, that White 'was not taking the job', ESPN reported. White has not publicly confirmed a decision, and NPR reported that he said he would meet Trump on Monday to discuss the offer.

The post became vacant when Karoline Leavitt left at the end of August. Her successor, Katie Zacharia, left after five days in October, PBS reported, leaving the White House without a permanent press secretary since.

The Other Dana White

Online, many users had a different explanation. 'I guarantee you someone recommended her to Trump and he thought they meant UFC Dana White and nobody is allowed to correct him lol,' X user @FanSince09 wrote, referring to a 'Dana White' at the Defence Department. The post drew more than seven million views.

Dana W. White served as assistant to the secretary of defence for public affairs and chief Pentagon spokesperson under Defence Secretary James Mattis during Trump's first term.

Writer Kelly Scaletta expanded on the theory, claiming that outgoing chief of staff Susie Wiles had recommended 'Dana White' and that Trump 'immediately assumed the UFC Dana'. Scaletta provided no evidence for the account, and no independent reporting has confirmed that Wiles made any such recommendation.

Replies piled on. 'This is the 4 Seasons Total Landscaping 2.0,' one user wrote, referring to the 2020 Trump campaign press conference held at a Philadelphia landscaping firm rather than the Four Seasons hotel.

A Long Friendship

The theory ignores how close Trump and the UFC chief are. Since returning to office in January 2025, Trump has attended several UFC events with White, PBS reported. In June, he hosted a UFC event on the White House South Lawn to mark the country's 250th anniversary and his 80th birthday.

'It was an amazing experience, this was a one-of-one,' White said afterwards. He also spoke at the Republican National Conventions in 2016, 2020 and 2024.

The offer came days after Republicans lost both chambers of Congress, and a day after Trump named Stephen Miller to replace Wiles as chief of staff. The White House did not respond to questions about the post on Saturday, PBS reported.