Trump Considers Replacing White House Press Room With a Pool
- United States Donald Trump is considering relocating the White House press corps off-site to make room for a swimming pool.
- The concept of replacing the press briefing room with water dates back to the start of Donald Trump's first term in office in 2017.
- 27, Donald Trump shared a digital image on Truth Social contrasting the current press briefing room labeled with the words fake news alongside a rendering of a luxurious,...
United States Donald Trump is considering relocating the White House press corps off-site to make room for a swimming pool. The plan, detailed in an investigation by The New York Times, would remove reporters from the West Wing and shift them to a building across the street.
Trump Revives Pool Idea From First Term
The concept of replacing the press briefing room with water dates back to the start of Donald Trump’s first term in office in 2017. At that time, former advisor Steve Bannon proposed moving journalists outside the West Wing under the banner of national security, though that effort stalled because officials considered it too complex to execute. The proposal has since gained renewed traction within the president’s inner circle.
“Close your Borders and take control, before it is too late!” – President DONALD J. TRUMP pic.twitter.com/6vXWkZwYVJ
On Sept. 27, Donald Trump shared a digital image on Truth Social contrasting the current press briefing room labeled with the words fake news alongside a rendering of a luxurious, gold-trimmed swimming pool. The White House historically featured a swimming pool installed for President Roosevelt in 1933, which President Nixon later had covered over to create space for the press.
Restrictions Target Press Access
Physical relocation proposals coincide with a broader pattern of restrictions placed on institutional media outlets during Donald Trump’s second term. In February 2025, Associated Press reporters lost access to the White House after declining to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. In September, the administration revoked press credentials for more than 70 journalists following the exclusion of CNN, MS NOW, and Politico over accusations of spreading fake news, though a federal judge subsequently ordered those credentials restored.
While traditional outlets face tighter access controls, the administration has simultaneously opened more physical space for pro-MAGA podcasters and digital influencers inside the White House. When questioned by The New York Times regarding a potential press move, administration officials stated that all options remain on the table.
Uncertain Timeline and Unanswered Questions
For the time being, no move has been announced, and the administration has not issued formal relocation orders for the press corps. It remains unknown when or if construction crews will begin converting the West Wing briefing area into a pool, or whether journalists will formally contest an off-site move across the street.