President Trump says he offered the job to UFC CEO Dana White, and that left a lot of people asking whether a fight promoter could do it. The answer depends on what the job actually involves. Most of the work happens away from the cameras.
What happens at the daily briefing?
The press secretary gives the White House press corps a briefing, usually every day. It covers the president's schedule, who is expected to visit and how the administration is responding to the day's events, according to Britannica. After that, the press secretary takes reporters' questions and sets embargo rules, which say when reporters may publish what they've been told.
More broadly, Britannica describes the press secretary as the person who oversees communication for the executive branch and speaks for the president in print, on broadcast and online.
What does the job involve away from the podium?
Most of the job is managing people and logistics. The press secretary runs an office that spans two buildings and in many administrations has had about 30 staff, according to a position description from the Center for Presidential Transition. That description draws on scholar Martha Kumar's White House Transition Project.
The listed responsibilities include:
- Getting presidential information to reporters, both formally and informally
- Briefing the president on issues in the media
- Preparing the president and other officials for interviews, and scheduling them for media appearances
- Arranging travel and access for the press corps that follows the president
- Working out messaging with the communications director, the policy councils and the chief of staff's office
- In some cases, persuading people, not just informing them
The general explainers mostly focus on the briefing and skip this part. But it's a big reason the press secretary has to be closely tied into what the rest of the White House is doing.
Who does the press secretary answer to, and what does it pay?
The press secretary reports to the president through the White House chief of staff. That matters right now, because the same news coverage reported that Trump named Stephen Miller to replace Susie Wiles as chief of staff. So whoever takes the job would answer to a new boss in the chief of staff's office.
The post does not need Senate confirmation, and the press secretary serves at the president's pleasure, meaning they can be replaced at any time. The pay was $176,461 in 2016, and Wikipedia lists $180,000 for 2024. I couldn't find a newer figure.
Do you have to be a journalist to do it?
No, and many press secretaries weren't. The job dates to 1929, when George Akerson, Herbert Hoover's longtime aide, became the person designated to speak for him, though he never formally held the title.
After that, presidents have gone both ways. Britannica notes that some picked people they trusted personally, like Truman's lifelong friend Charlie Ross and Jimmy Carter's gubernatorial press secretary Jody Powell. Others picked news professionals, like former reporter James Hagerty under Eisenhower, who allowed the first televised press conference. Stephen Early, a journalist, served Franklin Roosevelt from 1933 to 1945, the longest tenure of anyone in the job.
More recent picks also came from outside newsrooms. Sean Spicer, Trump's first press secretary in 2017, had been communications director for the Republican National Committee. Britannica says he became known for combative exchanges with reporters and for numerous false statements. Tony Snow was among the first to arrive already a celebrity. That's the closest historical example to someone like White.
What skills does the job usually call for?
The Center for Presidential Transition's description lists these typical requirements:
- Experience in executive agencies or working for members of Congress
- Deep knowledge of the president's positions and policies
- Skill at dealing with the media, and comfort with every kind of media
- A close relationship with the president
- The ability to "play reporter" when gathering facts
- The ability to work under heavy pressure
A newsroom background isn't on that list. Policy knowledge and closeness to the president are.
Does the job usually go smoothly?
Often it doesn't. Nixon's press secretary Ronald Ziegler famously called Watergate a "third-rate burglary attempt." Ford's first press secretary, Jerald terHorst, resigned in protest after Ford pardoned Nixon. Under Lyndon Johnson, four press secretaries together served less than four years.
The current stretch has been rocky too. CBS News reports the post has been vacant since Oct. 16, 2026. That's when Katie Zacharia was removed after five days, and she had replaced Karoline Leavitt, who stepped aside in August.
Who is giving the briefings right now?
It isn't clear. CBS and ESPN describe the job as vacant. One version of Wikipedia's page listed Vice President JD Vance as acting in the role since Sept. 3, 2026, but nothing else I found confirms that, and other versions of the page say it's vacant. Wikipedia isn't a reliable source on this question right now.
Is Dana White taking the job?
That isn't known yet. White said he was flying to Washington to meet Trump on Monday and didn't say whether he'd accept. The same report cited CNN, which said, citing a source, that White isn't taking the job. CBS noted that at least one outlet suggested Trump's post may have been tongue-in-cheek. So it isn't settled whether the offer was even serious.