Trump floats moving 100-plus reporters to quieter White House site

Donald Trump suggested on Friday that the White House press corps could move to a new site.

The president posted on Truth Social that he might relocate the group of journalists covering the executive branch. He described the potential new spot as a less obnoxious location. This comment followed reports that he wanted to change the layout of the West Wing.

Trump denied he intended to remove the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room to uncover a historic swimming pool. He called those accounts fake news and wrote that he never thought to do such a stupid thing. The pool was built in 1933 for Franklin D. Roosevelt, who used it to treat symptoms of polio. Richard Nixon covered the pool with a floor in the 1970s to create space for the briefing room.

The New York Times reported on Tuesday that Trump pitched the idea of moving journalists to Karoline Leavitt, his former press secretary. Leavitt's tenure ended on August 27. She appeared on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher on Friday and said Trump is flirting with restoring the pool. She added that he may want to restore it to all of its glory but she did not know if he would actually do it.

The comments land during a strained relationship between the administration and the media. Last month, Trump barred reporters from CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO from the White House. A federal judge ruled that order likely unconstitutional, forcing the White House to restore access. The administration is still fighting the ruling.

Trump also criticized Andrew Feinberg, a correspondent for The Independent, during an Oval Office event on Tuesday. He asked Feinberg what was wrong with him and if he was a sick person. The White House shared the video of the exchange on social media.

The potential move would join other changes to the White House property since Trump returned to power. The administration demolished the East Wing to build a ballroom, paved the center of the Rose Garden with concrete, and installed a helipad on the South Lawn. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.