“I was joking,” Trump explains after offering Dana White the job of White House spokesman

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he was "joking" when he offered Dana White, CEO of the UFC, the position of White House press secretary over the weekend. In a post on the Truth Social platform on Saturday, Trump said that he would like White to fill this vacant position, describing him as a “fighter and a fierce warrior.”

Shortly after this was published, a source familiar with the proposal reported that White rejected it. “I'm just kidding,” Trump told reporters on Monday as he left Florida.

Speaking about Dana White, Trump added: "You shouldn't mess with him too much." The post sparked speculation on social media; Dana W. White, a former Pentagon spokeswoman, said she received congratulatory messages.

Dana W. White wrote on LinkedIn: “To everyone who sends me congratulations: Thank you, but you mean another person named Dana White.” Dana White, president of the UFC, added to the confusion by announcing his intention to travel to Washington, D.C., to meet with the president, on Monday.

Trump explained on Monday that the reference to “aides” included in his post on Saturday was a joke. The post contained photos of six UFC fighters.

Trump said: "Some of them are not from our country, but come from unknown places." “That was an example of a situation where I was joking,” Trump added, but added that some people told him after the post that the idea might be a good one.

The president said that the meeting with White on Monday was scheduled for “other reasons.”