Trump Says Dana White Press Secretary Offer Was 'Just a Little Fun'

President Trump said on Sunday that his public offer to make Dana White, the chief executive of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the next White House press secretary was a joke. He called it "just a little fun" and said he was "only kidding."

In the same remarks, Mr. Trump said Mr. White "loves the idea" of standing behind the podium in the White House briefing room. The comment was enough to keep the speculation going even as the president dismissed it.

A Friendship Built Ringside

The idea is less strange than it might sound. Mr. White and Mr. Trump have been friends for more than two decades, going back to when Mr. Trump's Atlantic City casinos hosted early U.F.C. events while the league was struggling for mainstream acceptance. Mr. White has returned the favor many times. He spoke at Republican National Conventions, appeared at campaign rallies, and has introduced Mr. Trump to crowds in the same voice he uses to announce main events.

Mr. Trump, in turn, has become a regular in the front rows at U.F.C. fights. Those appearances have helped him reach young male voters who pay little attention to cable news but watch combat sports closely.

Why the Joke Landed Now

The timing matters. Mr. Trump made the remark days after a midterm election that went badly for Republicans. Republicans are trying to work out what went wrong, and the White House is considering how to present itself for the final two years of the term. A joke about hiring a fight promoter as the administration's chief spokesman carries a message even if it was not serious.

The press secretary's job is to absorb criticism on behalf of the president. It calls for patience, precision and the ability to take repeated questions from reporters without losing composure. Mr. White's experience is in the octagon, where the goal is to provoke a reaction rather than calm one. He is known for combative news conferences, open fights with fighters over pay, and little regard for media decorum. Putting him at the briefing room lectern would be like hiring a demolition expert to restore porcelain.

That contrast seems to be part of the appeal for Mr. Trump. He has long treated politics as entertainment, judged staff partly by how they perform on television, and enjoyed upsetting Washington's expectations.

Reading Between the Lines

Mr. Trump's line that he was "only kidding" has a history. He has used the same phrasing to step back from earlier comments after critics took them literally. Supporters say his opponents miss his humor. Critics say the jokes test ideas before he commits to them.

For now, the current press operation stays in place, and Mr. White remains focused on fight cards rather than briefing schedules. Neither Mr. White nor the U.F.C. had issued a formal statement on the president's comments as of Sunday.

The episode is unlikely to change policy. It does show how Mr. Trump is approaching the period after the midterms: with a showman's sense of timing and a willingness to keep public attention on him rather than on the election results.