White House has gone nearly 30 days without a press secretary

The White House has operated without a press secretary for nearly a month. Katie Zacharia held the role for only five days in mid-October. Her single briefing was short and received mixed reviews.

President Trump announced in an online post that he would ask Dana White, the head of the UFC, to take the position. The president described White as a violent fighter and warrior. Reporters speculated how the martial arts executive might respond to difficult questions.

Trump later clarified that he was only kidding about the appointment. He added that one would not mess around with White so much. The brief period of speculation ended without a formal announcement.

The White House has reduced the number of formal press briefings during this administration. The president has engaged in nearly 500 interactions with the press. These include interviews, press conferences, and impromptu question and answer sessions at ceremonies or on Air Force One.

Trump posts dozens of times a day on Truth Social. He communicates directly to millions of people without reporters present to ask for context or fact-checking. The frequent social media posts have reduced the need for a traditional spokesperson in the daily flow of information.

Some observers have suggested replacing the human role with an artificial intelligence chatbot. Corporations often use such systems to handle customer inquiries. A hypothetical bot named Ben could answer questions with standard phrases. It might tell reporters it understands their frustration and ask them to stay on the line for a satisfaction survey.