Trump has pushed to turn White House briefing room back into a pool, NYT reports

What the Times reported

President Donald Trump has repeatedly told aides he wants the White House press corps moved out of the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room so the indoor swimming pool built for Franklin D. Roosevelt can be brought back, The New York Times reported on Tuesday, according to accounts of the story by TheWrap, Mediaite and Raw Story. The report was written by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Citing three people familiar with the discussions, the Times said Trump pressed then-press secretary Karoline Leavitt to relocate reporters during an Oval Office meeting in August, in front of senior aides, and described the move as her "last legacy," Mediaite and Raw Story reported. He raised the idea with her several times over a period of months, according to the report. Leavitt left the administration on Aug. 27 and the change was not made. ^{[2] [3]}

Raw Story, summarizing the Times account, reported that the most likely new home for the press would be the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. TheWrap also cited the Times as saying Trump told aides he wanted the press moved there. ^{[3] [1]}

White House response

The White House did not deny the report. Communications director Steven Cheung called the press "fake news media" in a statement to the Times and said: "All options remain on the table, and we will make an announcement when appropriate," according to TheWrap and Mediaite. TheWrap said a White House representative did not immediately respond to its own request for comment. ^{[1] [2]}

The Times also reported that advisers who once argued that keeping reporters close served Trump's interests have left or lost influence, while others have encouraged him to take tougher steps against journalists, according to TheWrap and Raw Story. Raw Story, citing the Times, reported that Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, who has no formal role over White House facilities, produced a foam-board mock-up of the room converted back into a pool. Pulte did not respond to the Times, Raw Story said. ^{[1] [3]}

Earlier signals and reaction

Trump has hinted at the idea publicly. On Sept. 27 he posted images on Truth Social contrasting the briefing room, labeled as "Fake News," with a gold-trimmed version labeled "FDR Pool," Raw Story reported. TheWrap noted that The Wall Street Journal reported in September that Trump had weighed moving the press out of the White House, while a senior official said at the time there were no plans to do so. ^{[3] [1]}

Ari Fleischer, who was press secretary to President George W. Bush and is now a Fox News contributor, called the idea a "bad idea" in a post on X on Tuesday, Mediaite reported, arguing that the press comes with winning the presidency. ^[4]

Background

The briefing room sits atop the pool that was installed by the March of Dimes for Roosevelt. President Richard Nixon had the pool covered to create press space, and the room now seats 49 reporters. The space was last renovated between 2006 and 2007, according to a history of the room. The old pool area below now holds computer servers. ^{[5] [1]}

The report comes amid a wider dispute over press access. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly on Oct. 13 blocked the administration's revocation of White House hard passes for reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, CBS News reported, and the Justice Department has appealed. TheWrap noted the White House currently has no press secretary. ^{[6] [1]}

What happens next

No relocation has been announced, and the Times report describes internal deliberations rather than a final decision. It is not known when, or whether, Trump will act on the idea, or how the White House Correspondents' Association, which assigns seats in the room, would respond. Cheung's statement indicates any decision would be announced by the White House. ^{[1] [2] [5]}