Trump floats move for White House press corps to 'less obnoxious' site

President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Friday that he might move the White House press corps to a new location.

In the post, he described the potential destination as a "less obnoxious location." He simultaneously rejected reports claiming he intends to demolish the current briefing room to expose a historic swimming pool underneath, labeling those accounts "Fake News." Trump wrote, "I NEVER even thought to do such a stupid thing!"

The proposal involves relocating the dozens of journalists who currently work out of the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room in the West Wing. The New York Times reported on Tuesday that Trump discussed this idea with former press secretary Karoline Leavitt. The report noted that the plan did not progress during her tenure, which concluded on August 27.

Leavitt addressed the proposal in a Friday interview on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher." She stated that Trump is "flirting" with the idea of restoring the pool. She added, "I don't know if he'll do it," while suggesting he "maybe, wants to restore it to all of its glory."

The pool was constructed in 1933 for President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who used it to manage pain from polio. In the 1970s, President Richard Nixon ordered a floor built over the pool to create space for the briefing room. The structure remains beneath the current floor. The New York Times reported that Trump has told aides he wants to return the pool to its original state.

The proposal emerges amid strained relations between the White House and the media. In September, the administration barred journalists from CNN, MSNBC, and POLITICO from the premises. A federal judge ruled that ban likely unconstitutional, forcing the White House to restore access, though the administration continues to contest the decision. On Tuesday, Trump clashed with The Independent correspondent Andrew Feinberg in the Oval Office, asking, "What's wrong with you? Are you a sick person?" The White House shared the exchange on social media.

Any modification to the briefing room would join a series of structural changes to the property since Trump returned to office. The administration has demolished the East Wing for a new ballroom, paved the Rose Garden lawn with concrete, and installed a helipad on the South Lawn. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.