Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Monday, November 9, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Monday, November 9, 2026
Trump says he was ‘only kidding’ about tapping UFC CEO as press secretary
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US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Air Force One, at President Donald J. Trump International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, November 8, 2026. (AP/Jacquelyn Martin)
US President Donald Trump says he was “only kidding” when he suggested UFC CEO Dana White could become his next White House press secretary, after a social media post yesterday stirred speculation about recruiting his feisty ally and signaled a combative approach to dealing with Democrats as they prepare to take control of Congress.
Trump says White, a prominent supporter, “loves the idea” of taking the job but insists 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 tells reporters, explaining that he had posted photographs of prominent UFC fighters as potential assistants to White as part of the joke.
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