Trump offers UFC boss press secretary post
Trump also ordered the Justice Department to investigate Democrats for extortion.
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) -- Facing an incoming Democratic congress, United States President Donald Trump struck a combative tone Saturday, offering friend and "violent fighter" Dana White the White House press secretary job and ordering the Justice Department to investigate his opponents.
Democrats handed Trump's Republicans a blowout defeat in midterm elections this week and will take control of both chambers of Congress in January. They are promising robust investigations of Trump and his administration.
Trump, however, showed no signs of being chastened.
He offered the press secretary post to White, a loyal supporter who is head of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) mixed martial arts organization.
"Dana, please take the job!" Trump posted on social media, describing White as a "violent Fighter and Warrior."
Speaking to reporters following a boxing event in London late Saturday, White said he was flying to Washington "right now" and will meet with Trump on Monday.
"I'll have more to talk about after that," he said.
White had earlier shared a photo — possibly AI-generated — showing him behind the lectern in the White House press briefing room, captioned "On to the next chapter."
Trump on Saturday also ordered the Justice Department to investigate Democrats for "extortion at the highest level."
"The Democrats are going around threatening a lot of people," he wrote, adding that he was ordering the Justice Department to "look into this criminal act."
Denying that anyone in his administration had committed impeachable offenses, Trump called for prison time for "these EXTORTIONISTS."
The White House has been without a press secretary since 16 October when Katie Zacharia left the position after less than a week on the job.
White, 57, is president and CEO of the UFC, the largest and most successful company in the world of mixed martial arts whose violent cage fights are broadcast across the globe.
Trump listed six UFC fighters that he hoped White would bring to the White House as advisers, "even though some are not from our Country."
"We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left," he said of the fighters, who include two Russians and one Brazilian.