President Trump said Saturday that he will not replace the White House press briefing room with an indoor swimming pool. He also said he may move reporters somewhere else 1.
He wrote on Truth Social that he "may move the Fake News to a less obnoxious location." He added that "the old swimming pool will never be brought back" 1.
What the reports said
On Tuesday, The New York Times reported that Trump told aides he wanted to bring back an indoor pool installed in 1933 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. President Richard Nixon later covered it to make room for the briefing room 1. TheWrap, summarizing the Times report, said the pool was converted into the press room in 1970 2.
According to TheWrap's account of the Times report, Trump suggested moving the press corps to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. It also said the idea came up more than once in his second term 2.
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Communications Director Steven Cheung told the Times, "All options remain on the table, and we will make an announcement when appropriate," TheWrap reported 2. No relocation has been announced. Trump's post leaves open a move even as it rejects the pool.
Press access under pressure
The Hill reports that the administration has increasingly sought to restrict press access over unfavorable coverage during Trump's second term 1.
This week, the White House removed Andrew Feinberg of The Independent from the print press pool. That bars him from traveling with the president after Trump lashed out at him in the Oval Office 1. The pool is the small group of reporters who share access to the president and report for the rest of the press.
White House Correspondents' Association President Jacqui Heinrich accused the White House of "retaliation." A White House spokesperson told The Hill that no journalist has a constitutional right to access the Oval Office, Air Force One or other private facilities 1.
Last month, the administration barred Politico, CNN and MS NOW from the White House. A federal judge ordered their credentials restored. CNN reporters, like Feinberg, still cannot join the press pool on Air Force One 1.
What happens next
Cheung said an announcement would come "when appropriate" 2. The White House has not said whether or when the briefing room would move. TheWrap noted the White House currently has no press secretary 2.
That matters because the briefing room is where reporters question the administration in public, in front of one another. A move to another building would be a decision about how close the press sits to the people it covers. Readers should watch for any announcement and for whether the Correspondents' Association objects.
The Record
- An indoor White House pool was installed under President Franklin D. Roosevelt 1.
- The pool was converted into the press briefing room under President Richard Nixon 2.
- The New York Times reported Trump wanted to bring back the pool; Cheung said "All options remain on the table" 2.
- Trump denied a pool plan on Truth Social but said he may move the press to another location 1.
Sources
- The Hill, “Trump hints that White House press area may be moved to another location” (2026-10-24). thehill.com/homenews/administration/6169992-trump-denies-pre
- TheWrap, “White House Won't Deny Trump Is Eyeing Press Briefing Room for Indoor Pool” (2026-10-20). thewrap.com/media-platforms/politics/white-house-does-not-de
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