Markets
Friday, November 13, 2026Updated 8:02 PM ET

Conservative news from the nation’s capital

Sports

Tonight on Fight Night with Jessie Calhoun

Nothing to Hide: Dana White Shrugs Off Probe Talk and Laughs About His 'Crazy 48 Hours' on the Eve of UFC 334

In a sit-down with Lara Trump, the UFC boss looked back on the weekend the president offered him the White House podium, then turned to a heavyweight title fight at Madison Square Garden.

Were you there? Share your story
Illustration: A dramatic fight-night scene inside a darkened New York City arena: an empty eight-sided fighting cage glowing under bright overhead lights with haze drifting through the beams, distant crowd silhouettes in the upper seats…
Illustration · Liberty Bell Report

Part of our continuing coverage: UFC's Dana White Turns Down Trump's Press Secretary Offer: 'Zero Political Aspirations'

Key points

  • Dana White told Lara Trump on Fox News he has nothing to hide from Democratic investigations after the midterms.
  • White described the stretch when he almost became White House press secretary as a crazy 48 hours.
  • President Trump had announced the offer on Truth Social; White later took the briefing room podium and said he had no political ambitions.
  • White is back to his day job as UFC 334 brings Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit and Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes to the Garden on Saturday.

Dana White has spent a quarter-century promoting fights. This week he made it clear he is not losing sleep over the political kind.

In an interview with Lara Trump on Fox News, the UFC chief said he has nothing to hide from the investigations Democrats have floated into President Trump's allies after the midterm elections, Fox News reported [1]. White, one of the president's best-known friends in sports, brushed off the idea that he could become a target and spent much of the conversation laughing about the strangest week of his career outside the cage [1].

The Weekend He Almost Took the Podium

White described the episode as a crazy 48 hours [1]. The Independent reported that he told Lara Trump, the president's daughter-in-law, what it was like to "almost inadvertently become the next press secretary" for the White House [2].

It began on a Saturday afternoon, when President Trump announced on Truth Social that White had been offered the press secretary job, adding a plea: "Please take the job!" the Daily Mail reported [3]. The post set off a flurry of coverage across the political press and the fight world alike.

Two days later, White showed up in the White House briefing room himself. He stepped behind the podium, took questions from reporters and joked about the weekend offer, KATV reported [4]. As this site reported at the time, White used the moment to say he had zero political aspirations, and the search for a permanent press secretary went on.

It was a classic White moment: direct, good-humored and unbothered. He has never pretended to be a politician, and he did not start now.

Why the Probe Talk Does Not Rattle Him

The more serious part of the interview came when Lara Trump asked about Democrats who have talked about investigating people close to the president once the new Congress is seated. White's answer, as Fox News summarized it, was that he has nothing to hide [1].

There is a reason that line lands with a lot of Americans. White built the UFC from a fringe sport into a global business by working long hours, taking risks and keeping his promises to fighters and fans. His friendship with Donald Trump goes back to the UFC's early years, and White has never hidden it. Supporters see a businessman who stood by a friend when it was unpopular. Critics have questioned that closeness. If any committee does come calling, White's message is that he will not be intimidated.

Back to the Day Job

White does not have long to dwell on Washington. UFC 334 takes over Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, headlined by Ciryl Gane defending the heavyweight title against challenger Josh Hokit, with Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes meeting in the co-main event, Cageside Press reported when the card was announced [5].

It has been a demanding fight week for the boss. White condemned the hotel-lobby brawl in Abu Dhabi involving Usman Nurmagomedov and Merab Dvalishvili, calling the people involved "Idiots," according to The Independent [6]. Earlier in the week, as this site reported, he also had to break up a tense title staredown as the heavyweight feud boiled over.

That is the job: keep the peace when tempers flare, sell the fight when cameras roll, and deliver a show that fills one of the most famous arenas in the world. Whatever Democrats in Congress decide to do in January, White's priorities this weekend are the same as they have always been. Get the fighters to the cage, give the fans their money's worth, and let the athletes settle it.

What Comes Next

The Lara Trump interview gave fans a rare look at White's sense of humor about Washington [1][2]. Now the focus shifts to the Garden, where a new or repeat heavyweight champion will be crowned and a long-awaited women's showdown will finally happen [5].

For a man who almost became the president's spokesman by accident, White sounded entirely comfortable staying exactly where he is: running the biggest fight promotion on the planet, and answering to the fans.

Sources

6 reports this article drew on
  1. [1]Opens in a new tab ↗
  2. [2]Opens in a new tab ↗
  3. [3]Opens in a new tab ↗
  4. [4]Opens in a new tab ↗
  5. [5]Opens in a new tab ↗
  6. [6]Opens in a new tab ↗
🗳️ Member poll

Should athletes keep politics out of the game?

  1. Yes, just play
  2. They can speak off the field
  3. They have every right to speak out
Join free to vote and see results

0 member votes · Share · All polls

Were you there?

If you were at the scene, or this story touched your life, tell us what you saw and what it was like.

Members only. Sign in or join free to tell us you were there or share your experience.

Discussion 0

Sign in or create a free account to join the discussion.

No comments yet. Start the discussion.