Trump Considers Moving Press Corps From Briefing Room

The White House is undergoing extensive physical changes under the current administration, and the next proposed adjustment targets the location where reporters hold daily briefings. President Donald Trump indicated on Sunday that he is evaluating whether to relocate the press corps to another area of the executive residence.

The president stated he intends to use the current briefing room space for other White House functions that he described as badly needed. This potential move follows reports from The New York Times dated October 20, which suggested the administration discussed replacing the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room with an indoor swimming pool. Trump denied that specific proposal while confirming he wants different uses for the square footage.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, "I am not building a swimming pool in the White House Briefing Room, and never had any intention of doing so." He added, "I am thinking about moving the Press, and putting them in a different location, but I will use that location for very badly needed space." The White House referred media inquiries to this Sunday post for further comment.

Trump had addressed the pool rumor in a separate post on Saturday. He described the idea of removing the press room to restore the pool as a "stupid thing." He wrote, "There is a Fake News report out there that I am going to remove the White House Press Room and bring back the old Swimming Pool, which lies directly underneath." He concluded that the old swimming pool would never return, though he might move the media to a "less obnoxious location."

The current briefing room sits above an underground structure that has a long history. The White House Historical Association notes that the indoor swimming pool opened on June 2, 1933. A New York Daily News campaign raised funds for the pool to help President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who had polio. Roosevelt used therapy pools at his Hyde Park home and in Warm Springs, Georgia, before the White House facility opened.

President Richard M. Nixon later ordered the construction of the press briefing room above the pool to accommodate the rise of television news coverage. Trump has promoted the broader renovation project in public appearances. At a rally in Florida last Friday, he told supporters his administration is "building some beautiful things." The president also personally paid for two 88-foot-tall flagpoles installed at the White House last July.

Political opponents have criticized various construction projects on Pennsylvania Avenue. Democratic leaders and left-leaning media figures voiced objections during the groundbreaking for a new White House ballroom in October 2025. The potential relocation of the press corps adds another point of discussion regarding the physical footprint of the executive branch.