Trump Weighs Relocating 100+ White House Reporters to New Site

President Donald Trump suggested on Friday that he may move the White House press corps to a different location.

In a post on Truth Social, the president indicated that the dozens of journalists currently covering the White House might be relocated to a site he described as a "less obnoxious location." He simultaneously dismissed recent reports suggesting he planned to remove the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room to restore a historic swimming pool. "I NEVER even thought to do such a stupid thing!" he wrote, labeling those accounts "Fake News." Although he rejected the idea of eliminating the room, he confirmed the possibility of moving the reporters themselves.

The debate over the pool’s fate dates back to Tuesday, when The New York Times reported that Trump had discussed the idea with former press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Leavitt’s tenure ended on August 27, and the idea did not advance during her time in the role. The pool, built in 1933 for President Franklin D. Roosevelt, sits beneath the floor of the current briefing room. President Richard Nixon covered the pool in the 1970s to create space for the expanding media presence. On Friday, Leavitt told HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" that Trump was "flirting" with the concept of restoring the pool, adding that he "maybe, wants to restore it to all of its glory." She noted, "I don't know if he'll do it."

The comments land during a strained period in the relationship 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 their access, though the administration continues to challenge that ruling. Tensions escalated further on Tuesday at an Oval Office event. Trump confronted Andrew Feinberg, The Independent’s White House correspondent, as Feinberg attempted to ask a question. "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 exchange on social media.

Any physical changes to the briefing room would join a series of structural alterations to the White House property since Trump returned to power last year. He has already demolished the East Wing for a new ballroom, paved the center of the Rose Garden with concrete, and constructed a helipad on the South Lawn. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the potential relocation.

No specific date has been set for a decision on the press corps' future. The administration has not announced whether the move would involve a new building or a repurposed space within the existing executive mansion. The briefing room currently serves as the primary venue for daily media interactions.