Trump weighs moving White House press corps to quieter site

Daily briefings have long anchored the West Wing, but the administration is now weighing a physical change to where those questions are asked. President Donald Trump stated on Friday that he may move the White House press corps to a different site.

In a post on Truth Social, the president pushed back against earlier reports detailing the future of the briefing room. He rejected the idea that he planned to remove the space to restore a historic swimming pool located beneath it. Trump called those accounts "Fake News" and wrote, "I NEVER even thought to do such a stupid thing!"

However, the post indicated a potential shift in location for the dozens of journalists who cover the executive branch. Trump suggested the reporters might be relocated "to a less obnoxious location." The New York Times reported on Tuesday that the president had pitched this idea to former press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Leavitt’s tenure ended on August 27, and the Times noted the plan did not advance during her time in the role. The pool in question was constructed in 1933 for Franklin D. Roosevelt, who used it to ease pain from polio. Richard Nixon covered the pool with a floor in the 1970s to create space for the growing media presence. The water still sits below the current room.

Leavitt told HBO’s "Real Time with Bill Maher" on Friday that Trump was "flirting" with restoring the pool. She added that he "maybe, wants to restore it to all of its glory," though she was uncertain if he would follow through.

The comments land during a tense period between the White House and the press corps. Last month, the administration barred journalists from CNN, MS NOW, and POLITICO from the building. A federal judge ruled that order likely unconstitutional, forcing the White House to restore access, though the administration is still fighting the ruling.

Trump also clashed with The Independent’s White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg at an Oval Office event on Tuesday. Trump asked, "What's wrong with you? Are you a sick person? I actually think there's something wrong with you," as Feinberg attempted to ask a question. The White House shared the exchange on social media. Any changes to the briefing room would join other controversial projects, including the demolition of the East Wing for a ballroom and the addition of a helipad on the South Lawn.