Trump proposes moving 100-plus White House reporters to new site

The White House has long served as the primary stage for daily presidential updates, but President Donald Trump suggested on Friday that the press corps may soon occupy a different space. In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated he could move the roughly 100 reporters who cover the executive office to a location he described as less obnoxious. He clarified that the move is distinct from previous reports linking the change to architectural renovations.

Trump explicitly rejected the notion that he planned to remove the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room to uncover a submerged swimming pool. He labeled those accounts as fake news and called the idea of such a restoration stupid. The New York Times previously reported that Trump discussed this concept with former press secretary Karoline Leavitt. According to that report, the idea did not gain traction during her time in the role, which concluded on August 27.

The pool at the center of these discussions was constructed in 1933 for President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Roosevelt used the facility to manage symptoms of polio. In the 1970s, President Richard Nixon ordered a floor to be installed over the pool to create space for a larger briefing room. The structure remains beneath that floor today. Leavitt appeared on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher on Friday, where she said the president is flirting with the idea of restoring the pool to its former glory, though she admitted uncertainty about whether he will follow through.

This potential relocation occurs during a period of heightened friction between the administration and the media. Last month, the White House barred journalists from CNN, MS NOW, and POLITICO from the building. Free speech advocates argued the ban violated First Amendment protections. A federal judge subsequently ruled the order likely unconstitutional, compelling the White House to restore access to those news organizations. The administration is currently challenging that ruling.

Trump has also engaged in direct confrontations with reporters. On Tuesday, he criticized Andrew Feinberg, a correspondent for The Independent, during an Oval Office event. Trump asked Feinberg if he was a sick person and suggested something was wrong with him. The White House shared the exchange on social media platforms. Any physical changes to the briefing room would join other major alterations to the White House property since Trump returned to power, including the demolition of the East Wing for a ballroom and the construction of a helipad on the South Lawn.

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the specific logistics of a potential press corps move.