The room where American presidents and their spokespeople have faced questions from journalists for decades could soon serve a very different purpose, with President Donald Trump reportedly revisiting plans to transform it into an indoor swimming pool.
The president has repeatedly discussed moving reporters out of the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, according to The New York Times, which cited three people familiar with conversations inside the administration.
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Trump reportedly raised the proposal several times with former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, including during the final weeks before her departure on August 27.
He even suggested that removing the journalists could become her "last legacy," although the proposal was not implemented before she left office.
The idea remains under consideration, with the White House declining to announce whether any renovation or relocation will proceed.
The proposal has an unusual historical connection because the current briefing room occupies the site of a swimming pool installed during Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency.
Built in 1933, the pool allowed Roosevelt to exercise in water as part of managing the effects of polio, which had left him with significant mobility limitations.
It remained part of the White House for decades until President Richard Nixon had it covered in 1970, creating space for the growing presidential press corps.
Trump has reportedly expressed interest in reversing that transformation, even sharing contrasting images on Truth Social in September.
One depicted the existing briefing room beneath the words "Fake News," while another showed a proposed swimming pool labeled "FDR Pool."
White House journalists could lose West Wing workspace
Restoring the pool would require relocating journalists who currently work close to the Oval Office and senior administration officials.
One option reportedly involves transferring them to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which stands immediately beside the White House complex.
Former Trump strategist Steve Bannon has supported moving reporters away from the West Wing, citing concerns about security.
"From the moment I arrived in the White House, I believed it was a national security threat to have the press literally surround the Oval Office," Bannon told The New York Times.
Journalists, however, have raised broader concerns about restrictions on their proximity to officials and opportunities to ask questions directly.
A relocation could preserve formal briefings while changing the informal access reporters have traditionally enjoyed.
Trump faces questions over press access
The discussions come amid an ongoing legal dispute involving CNN, Politico and MS NOW over restrictions on their White House coverage.
A federal judge recently granted preliminary relief to the news organizations, although CNN has alleged that access problems continue, including restrictions involving Air Force One.
White House communications director Steven Cheung defended the administration's position toward the media while leaving the proposed changes unresolved.
"America is rightly distrustful of the fake news media because they fabricate stories based off lies and sources who are not even privy to any type of information," Cheung said.
"All options remain on the table, and we will make an announcement when appropriate."
No final decision has been made, according to CBS News, meaning the historic briefing room will continue operating in its existing form unless the administration formally approves a change.