White House Press: Trump hints at moving media corps to new location

The White House press corps operates under a set of traditions that have endured for decades, yet President Donald Trump indicated on Friday that those traditions may soon change.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated he might move the journalists covering the executive residence to a different spot. He described the current setup as potentially moving to a "less obnoxious location." He simultaneously denied reports that he planned to eliminate the briefing room entirely to restore a historic swimming pool beneath the floor. Trump called those accounts "Fake News" and wrote, "I NEVER even thought to do such a stupid thing!"

The New York Times reported earlier this week that Trump had discussed moving the media out of the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room with Karoline Leavitt, his former press secretary. The report noted that the idea did not move forward during Leavitt's tenure, which concluded on August 27. Leavitt spoke on Friday during an appearance on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher." She said Trump was "flirting" with the concept of bringing back the pool. "Maybe, wants to restore it to all of its glory," she said. "I don't know if he'll do it."

The pool in question was constructed in 1933 for Franklin D. Roosevelt, who used it to manage symptoms of polio. Richard Nixon ordered a floor installed over the pool in the 1970s to create space for the growing press corps. The structure remains underneath the current briefing room floor. The Times reported that Trump told aides he desired the pool's return.

These comments land amid ongoing friction between the administration and the media. Last month, Trump barred reporters from CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO from the White House. A US federal judge ruled that order likely unconstitutional, forcing the White House to restore access, though the administration continues to contest the decision. On Tuesday, Trump clashed with Andrew Feinberg, a correspondent for The Independent, during an Oval Office event. "What's wrong with you? Are you a sick person? I actually think there's something wrong with you," Trump said. The White House shared the moment on social media.

Any structural change to the briefing room would join a series of modifications to the White House property since Trump returned to power. The administration demolished the East Wing to construct a new ballroom. It also installed concrete pavers in the center of the Rose Garden and built a helipad on the South Lawn.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the potential relocation of the press corps.