White House Won’t Deny Trump Is Eyeing Press Briefing Room for Indoor Pool

The White House has not refuted claims that President Donald Trump may replace the press briefing room with an indoor pool, according to a Tuesday report. Communications Director Steven Cheung stated that "all options remain on the table," emphasizing the public's skepticism towards the media's fabrication of stories based on lies.

Cheung made these remarks in response to a New York Times report by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, which suggested that Trump discussed relocating the press corps from the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room during a recent meeting with then-Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Trump had assured Leavitt that this would be her "last legacy," but this idea was not realized at the time.

It is alleged that Trump had previously discussed the concept with Leavitt during his second term, mentioning a desire to restore an indoor pool built by Franklin D. Roosevelt, which was later converted into a press room in 1970 under Richard Nixon. Trump previously hinted at these plans in September, sharing an image of the press room alongside the proposed indoor pool on Truth Social.

This topic resurfaced last month, with the Wall Street Journal reporting that Trump had consistently considered moving the press corps out of the White House. However, a senior official denied these allegations at the time. The White House's plans may not be entirely new, as the White House reportedly has a vacant Press Secretary position, and Trump's criticism of the media has intensified recently.

For instance, Judge Timothy Kelly recently blocked the Trump administration from reinstating its ban on CNN, MSNBC, and Politico reporters accessing the White House grounds, and President Trump directly warned White House reporter Andrew Feinberg during a heated Oval Office exchange. White House officials did not immediately comment on the pool idea.