Donald Trump Considers Moving White House Press Corps to Free Up Historic Workspace

Donald Trump says he is considering moving the White House press corps from its historic workspace, arguing that the area could provide space the administration badly needs. In a Truth Social post, he said he was thinking of placing reporters elsewhere but did not identify a new location or explain what would replace them in the current room. The proposal has stirred renewed attention because the briefing room sits above an indoor swimming pool built for President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933. A report cited people familiar with discussions who said Trump had told aides he wanted to move reporters to make way for the pool. One account said the idea involved relocating journalists to the nearby Eisenhower Executive Office Building. The report also described a mock-up showing the room returned to pool use. Trump separately disputed a report that he intended to remove the press room and restore the pool, which is beneath the floor. The history is unusual: President Richard Nixon’s administration covered the pool in 1970 to create additional space for journalists. The room was reportedly designed so the pool could be restored without structural damage, and reporters have had dedicated work areas in the White House complex for more than a century. The White House Correspondents’ Association objected to the possibility of moving the press corps, with its president saying the group would oppose any change that made it harder for journalists to scrutinize the president from on site. The dispute comes amid other tensions over access to the complex. The article says the administration barred CNN, Politico and MS NOW from the White House in September, accusing the outlets of unfair coverage; a federal judge later reinstated their credentials. Trump has not announced a final plan, and his remarks leave unanswered where reporters would work or how the vacated space would be used. The pool’s history has become part of the debate, but the immediate question is whether the administration will act on the idea and what it could mean for journalists covering the presidency.