Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
US President Donald Trump has sounded out Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) chief Dana White for the post of White House press secretary, even suggesting that he bring along a team of fighters as assistants. White, who was earlier reported to have declined the offer, has now said he will meet Trump at the White House on Monday.
Speaking at a press conference in London on Saturday, following a boxing event, White said he was scheduled to meet the US President at the White House on Monday. His remarks came after reports, citing a source familiar with the matter, suggested that he had turned down Trump’s proposal.
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Trump had made the unusual pitch earlier on Saturday in a post on his Truth Social platform, describing White as a “violent Fighter and Warrior” and asking him to take up the high-profile communications role.
The US President also suggested that White bring six current or former UFC champions as assistants, including fighters from the United States, Russia and Brazil.
Those named by Trump included Russian fighters Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov, Americans Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier and Kayla Harrison, and Brazilian-born Amanda Nunes, who became a US citizen last year.
“We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left,” Trump wrote.
White, the longtime head of the UFC, has not publicly confirmed whether he is willing to accept the position. His announcement of a meeting with Trump on Monday, however, comes amid speculation over the unusual proposal.
WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY POSITION VACANT
The White House press secretary’s post has been vacant since Katie Zacharia’s tenure ended last month after less than a week. She had replaced Karoline Leavitt, who left the position at the end of August.
White and Trump have known each other for more than two decades. Their association began in the early 2000s, when Trump’s Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City hosted several UFC events.
Their relationship strengthened after White publicly backed Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016. Trump has since attended several UFC events. In June, the White House hosted a UFC fight night as part of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of US independence.
White would not be the first person with UFC connections to join Trump’s White House communications team. Steven Cheung, the White House director of communications, previously worked for White’s organisation between 2013 and 2016.
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With inputs from Reuters
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
