# Trump administration proposal to repurpose White House press

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/trump-administration-proposal-to-repurpose-white-house-press
> Updated: 2026-10-24T00:00:00.000Z. Sources: 78. Developments: 2.

Donald Trump has proposed converting the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room back into an indoor swimming pool, a site that originally housed a pool used by Franklin D. Roosevelt. 

Initial reports indicated the idea was discussed in August with former press secretary Karoline Leavitt, suggesting that journalists would be relocated to a location outside the White House complex. Trump later promoted the concept on Truth Social, sharing a graphic comparing the current briefing room to a gold-accented pool recreation. 

However, Trump has since used Truth Social to deny reports that he intends to demolish the briefing room to restore the historic therapy pool, dismissing the idea of restoring it as “stupid” and labeling reports of the plan as “Fake News.” He has instead indicated he may relocate the White House press corps to a “less obnoxious location” to move away from what he terms “Fake News.”

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung stated that “all options remain on the table” and that an announcement will be made when appropriate. This proposal follows a period of friction between the administration and the media, including judicial orders regarding First Amendment protections and recent restrictions on media access to certain presidential events. While a federal judge ordered the reinstatement of access for CNN, MSNBC, and Politico after they were briefly banned, the administration continues to contest the court order.

## Claims

- The Nixon administration replaced the pool with the press briefing room. (disputed by 29 sources)
- The pool was installed during the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration. (disputed by 11 sources)
- Donald Trump suggested he may move the White House press corps to a different location. (corroborated by 35 sources)
- Trump denied plans to remove the press room to restore a historic swimming pool. (corroborated by 34 sources)
- The Trump administration briefly banned journalists from CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from White House grounds. (corroborated by 33 sources)
- The Trump administration is contesting the court order regarding journalist access. (corroborated by 33 sources)
- The New York Times reported Trump urged Karoline Leavitt to move briefings out of the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room in August. (corroborated by 32 sources)
- A federal judge ruled that the ban on CNN, MSNBC, and Politico journalists was likely unconstitutional. (corroborated by 32 sources)
- A federal judge ordered the reinstatement of access for banned journalists. (corroborated by 29 sources)
- The historic pool was located beneath the current press briefing room. (corroborated by 25 sources)

## Timeline

### 2026-10-24: Trump considers relocating White House press corps

President Donald Trump suggested relocating the White House press corps to a new location while denying plans to replace the briefing room with a historic swimming pool.

47 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/donald-trump-suggests-relocating-white-house-press-corps

### 2026-09-27: Donald Trump suggests replacing White House press room with pool

Donald Trump suggested replacing the White House press briefing room with a swimming pool in a Truth Social post, amid ongoing legal and political disputes regarding media access and First Amendment rights.

31 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/donald-trump-announces-military-complex-for-dc-arch-of-triumph

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Cite as: Trump administration proposal to repurpose White House press. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/trump-administration-proposal-to-repurpose-white-house-press