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WASHINGTON, United States: Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) chief Dana White turned down President Donald Trump\u2019s \u2014 apparently jovial \u2014 offer of a job as press secretary in a surprise appearance at the White House on Monday.<\/p>\n
Trump stunned the world by saying on social media on Saturday that he had asked White to take on the high-profile post \u2014 but a day later the 80-year-old president said he was \u201conly kidding.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 57-year-old cage fighting boss visited the White House on Monday, and Trump brought him out for a chaotic news conference in the James Brady Briefing Room.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo let me ask you the big question. Would you like to be press secretary of the United States of America? Or do you just want to stay with this ridiculous UFC? Huh?\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you for the offer, sir \u2014 for the offer, I have no, no \u2014 I do not want to be in politics,\u201d White replied.<\/p>\n
Trump smiled and headed out of the room, saying: \u201cI am devastated to hear this. Goodbye, everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n
The press secretary\u2019s post has been vacant since Katie Zacharia left on October 16 after less than a week in the post. Her combative predecessor Karoline Leavitt left in August after a year and a half in the job.<\/p>\n
Trump\u2019s announcement that he had offered the high-profile job to \u201cviolent Fighter and Warrior\u201d White had sparked speculation that he was ready for a aggressive stance after the Republican Party\u2019s stunning midterm elections defeat.<\/p>\n
White is a long-time friend of the president and helped host a massive UFC match on the White House lawn earlier this year.<\/p>\n
But there was also some skepticism about the president\u2019s announcement, and Trump said Sunday night that he had been joking.<\/p>\n
\u2018Beat the hell out of you\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n Leading out White to the podium on Monday, Trump said he had been \u201chaving a little fun.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a great guy,\u201d Trump told the room full of reporters. \u201cThe only problem is he\u2019ll talk for a little while and then he\u2019s going to beat the hell out of you.\u201d<\/p>\n Standing at the lectern and wearing a black t-shirt and jacket, White looked like he might be more comfortable in the octagon \u2014 the ring used for UFC fights.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve always wanted to do this. Who has the first question?\u201d he joked \u2014 before quickliy adding: \u201cI have zero political aspirations.\u201d<\/p>\n White added that \u201cthe last 24 hours of my life has been insane\u201d since Trump made the announcement.<\/p>\n Asked by a journalist to confirm he had said no to the job, White added: \u201cI don\u2019t tell the president \u2018no\u2019 to anything… I didn\u2019t want to be disrespectful and say anything until he said something first.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump then took a series of questions on more weighty matters, from the Iran and Ukraine wars to the possible impeachment of Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and a spy scandal engulfing Nvidia boss Jensen Huang.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n