Trump May Move White House Press

President Donald Trump said on Friday that he might move the White House press corps to a different location. In a post on Truth Social, he described the potential new site as a less obnoxious location. He made these comments while pushing back against reports regarding the future of the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room.

Trump denied accounts that he planned to remove the briefing room to restore a historic swimming pool. He called those reports Fake News and wrote, I NEVER even thought to do such a stupid thing! However, he indicated that the dozens of reporters covering the White House could be relocated to a quieter area.

The New York Times reported on Tuesday that Trump discussed moving journalists with former press secretary Karoline Leavitt. The idea did not advance during her tenure, which ended on August 27. Leavitt appeared on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher on Friday. She said Trump was flirting with the idea of restoring the pool to all of its glory. She added that she did not know if he would follow through.

The pool was built in 1933 in the West Wing for Franklin D. Roosevelt. He used the pool to ease soreness from polio. Richard Nixon had a floor built over the pool in the 1970s to create the current briefing room. The structure still sits beneath that floor. The Times reported that Trump told aides he wanted to bring the pool back.

The remarks come during a tense period between Trump and the media. Last month, he barred journalists from CNN, MS NOW, and POLITICO from the White House. Free speech proponents argued the move violated First Amendment protections. A US federal judge ruled the order likely unconstitutional, forcing the White House to restore access. The administration is still fighting that ruling.

Trump also criticized Andrew Feinberg, The Independent's White House correspondent, at an Oval Office event on Tuesday. Feinberg was trying to ask a question when Trump lashed out. What's wrong with you? Are you a sick person? I actually think there's something wrong with you, Trump said. The White House amplified the moment on social media.

Any change to the briefing room would join other controversial projects that have altered the White House property. Trump demolished the East Wing to build a new ballroom. He placed concrete pavers over the Rose Garden lawn and built a helipad on the South Lawn. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.