Trump suggests moving 100-plus reporters to quieter venue
The President dismissed reports that he plans to remove the briefing room to restore a 1933 pool, though his former press secretary says he is considering the idea.
By Hassan Lawson ·
Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Friday that he might relocate the White House press corps to a new site, describing the current arrangement as potentially moving journalists to a "less obnoxious location." The President used the same post to reject claims that he intends to demolish the briefing room, calling those reports "Fake News" and stating he never considered such a "stupid thing."
The comments follow a report by The New York Times published on Tuesday. That outlet said Trump discussed moving journalists out of the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room with Karoline Leavitt, who served as press secretary until August 27. Leavitt appeared on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" on Friday, where she described the President as "flirting" with the idea of restoring the pool beneath the room. She added that he "maybe, wants to restore it to all of its glory" but noted uncertainty about his final decision.
The structure under discussion was built in 1933 for Franklin D. Roosevelt, who used the water to relieve pain from polio. In the 1970s, Richard Nixon covered the pool with a floor to create space for the growing media team. The pool remains beneath that surface today.
The proposal lands during a strained relationship between the administration and the press. 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, though the administration continues to challenge the ruling.
Tensions also surfaced on Tuesday in the Oval Office. Trump interrupted Andrew Feinberg, a White House correspondent for The Independent, asking, "What's wrong with you? Are you a sick person? I actually think there's something wrong with you." The White House shared the clip on social media.
Any physical changes to the residence would join other major alterations made since Trump returned to power. The administration demolished the East Wing for a new ballroom, paved the central lawn 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.
Source: Al Jazeera
