President Donald Trump held an impromptu press briefing Monday afternoon alongside Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White.
The unexpected appearance followed a joke Trump made Friday, when he said he had offered White the vacant White House press secretary position.
Asked by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins whether he had accepted the role, recently vacated by Katie Zacharia and Karoline Leavitt, White said he would never tell the president “no.”
“I don’t tell the president no to anything,” White said. “I didn’t say no.”
Trump replied that he had only been joking when he announced White as his press secretary the previous week, following what he described as “a very bad press day.”
“I think I’m going to get Dana White to be my new press secretary,” Trump recalled saying at the time.
Trump acknowledged that he was “sort of kidding,” but said the media took the comment seriously and immediately “wrote the stories.” Bringing White into the briefing room Monday, he added, was simply “for a little fun.”
By the end of the briefing, however, White made clear that he did not want the press secretary position—or any other role in politics.
President Donald Trump held an impromptu press briefing alongside UFC CEO Dana White
Asked whether he had accepted Trump’s offer to become the next White House press secretary, White said: “I don’t tell the president no to anything”
Trump also discussed the conflict involving Iran, saying the United States was “locked and loaded” and prepared to resume full-scale hostilities if necessary.
“We’re locked and loaded, ready to go for any reason,” the president said.
He qualified the statement, though, saying he was uncertain whether another military operation would be needed.
“At this point … taking the military action doesn’t seem to be a very necessary thing,” Trump added.
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The USS Theodore Roosevelt, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, left San Diego in September for the Middle East, where it was to join the USS George Washington and the USS George H.W. Bush.
The deployment brought approximately 9,000 to 10,000 additional sailors and Marines to the region. Trump had pledged not to strike Iran until after last Tuesday’s midterm elections, although it remains unclear whether he has authorized any additional attacks.
As the possibility of further military action remained unresolved, Trump said he was also pursuing a diplomatic solution. He told reporters Monday that Iranian negotiators were in contact with their US counterparts.
“They’re talking to us, and they’re talking very politely,” Trump said. “I hope we’re going to be able to make a deal with them.”
UFC CEO Dana White stands beside Trump as the president addresses reporters
The surprise briefing also featured several tense exchanges between Trump and members of the press, including CNN’s Collins and MS NOW’s Vaugh Hillyard.
Trump became visibly angry when Collins asked about Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who was the target of an impeachment effort led by Republican Congressman Thomas Massie.
“Massie’s a loser,” Trump said, speaking over Collins. “He’s a loser just like you at CNN.”
Several questions later, Hillyard drew Trump’s criticism when he asked about the president’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Who are you with?” Trump responded.
After Hillyard identified his network, Trump turned his criticism toward the White House correspondent.
“MS NOW gets the worst ratings … used to be MSDNC … you’re a fake network.”
“What a joke you are,” Trump said before moving on to another question.
