Ivanka Trump Returns to the White House in a Very Surprising Role After Exiting Politics

In 2022, Ivanka Trump made a very strong exit out of the political world when her father, Donald Trump, ran for president for the third time. Now, she’s heading back to Washington, D.C. for a surprising new role. 

Ivanka will be entering the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) arena for an event being organized at the White House for the United States’ 250th anniversary of independence on July 4, 2026, per Fox News. 

“Ivanka is a longtime fan of UFC and is honored to help [UFC president] Dana White create an exciting event celebrating a sport beloved by so many Americans, as part of our country’s 250th celebration,” a source told the media outlet. Fox News also confirmed that the president’s eldest daughter is working on planning the event — it’s not an official role. 

Donald Trump has been teasing the event ever since his official announcement at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on July 3. 

“Every one of our national parks, battlefields, and historic sites are going to have special events in honor of America250, and I even think we’re going to have a UFC fight,” the president said in the press conference. 

“Does anybody watch UFC? The great Dana White?” he added. “We’re going to have a UFC fight. We’re going to have a UFC fight — think of this — on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there.” 

The event is expected to take place on the White House South Lawn, per White, who spoke to the Associated Press on Aug. 13, touting it as “a one-of-one event.” Ivanka is already in the planning stages with the UFC president. He told CBS Mornings on Aug. 12, “When (Trump) called me and asked me to do it, he said, ‘I want Ivanka in the middle of this,’ So, Ivanka reached out to me, and her and I started talking about the possibilities, where it would be and, you know, I put together all the renderings.”

Ivanka has been quite the sports enthusiast over the last few years, showing off her athletic prowess on her Instagram page. She’s often spotted surfing or taking jiu-jitsu lessons from Gisele Bündchen’s boyfriend Joaquim Valente.

The UFC planning might not be as serious as her senior advisor role during Donald Trump’s first administration, but she’s dipping her toes back into political waters. 

Before you go, click here to see every time Ivanka Trump has tried to distance herself from the Trump family: