President Donald Trump denied that he plans to replace the White House press briefing room with a swimming pool, saying the historic pool beneath the room “will never be brought back” and insisting he never considered restoring it.
“There is a Fake News report out there that I am going to remove the White House Press Room and bring back the old Swimming Pool, which lies directly underneath,” Trump wrote Saturday on Truth Social.
“Although I may move the Fake News to a less obnoxious location, the old swimming pool will never be brought back,” he added. “I NEVER even thought to do such a stupid thing!”
Troubled Relationship With The Press
While Trump categorically denied considering restoration of the pool, his statement left open the possibility of relocating the White House press corps.
The possibility of relocating reporters comes amid an increasingly contentious relationship between the Trump White House and the press. The administration has previously sought to restrict White House access for several news organizations, while moving reporters from their current workspace could further change their proximity to the president and senior officials.
Trump's denial comes after he appeared to tease the idea in a September 27 Truth Social post, sharing side-by-side images of the White House press briefing room and an ornate indoor pool labeled “Fake News Before” and “FDR Pool After.”
Newsweek reached out to the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) by email Saturday for comment.
Above-ground Ballroom, Below-ground Facility
Trump has been overseeing a major construction project at the White House involving the East Wing during his second term.
Images of the East Wing being torn down, leaving piles of rubble and construction equipment beside the White House, drew widespread criticism from preservationists and Trump's political opponents. The administration defended the work as necessary and said the completed project would leave the White House “more beautiful than ever.”
The federal government began a project in October 2025 to replace the East Wing, according to an August Supreme Court order. The existing East Wing was demolished by December 2025, with plans calling for a new East Wing that includes an above-ground ballroom and a below-ground military facility.
The Supreme Court allowed construction to continue August 31 while litigation over the project proceeds. The court's majority said the federal government was likely to prevail on its argument that the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which challenged the project, lacked standing.
Chief Justice John Roberts joined the court's three liberal justices in dissent, describing the construction as “likely unlawful.”
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What Trump Said
Trump's denial follows an earlier Truth Social post that appeared to suggest restoring the historic pool.
In September, he shared side-by-side images of the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room and an ornate indoor pool. The images were labeled “Fake News Before” and “FDR Pool After,” according to contemporaneous reports.
The post prompted questions about whether Trump was seriously considering removing the briefing room or was simply taunting the news media.
Subsequent reports said Trump had discussed moving the press corps elsewhere, although they did not establish that a final decision had been made.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung previously declined to rule out changes, saying “all options remain on the table” and that the administration would make an announcement “when appropriate.”
Trump has now explicitly rejected the idea that he intended to restore the pool, while stopping short of ruling out moving reporters from their current location.
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Ongoing Construction at the White House
The controversy comes as construction continues elsewhere on the White House grounds. According to the Supreme Court's August order, the government began its East Wing replacement project in October 2025.
The existing East Wing was demolished by December, and the next phase called for construction of a new East Wing incorporating an above-ground ballroom and a military facility below ground.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued over the project, and a federal district court issued a preliminary injunction restricting above-ground construction while allowing work on the underground facility to continue.
The administration challenged that order, and the Supreme Court granted its request for a stay Aug. 31, allowing construction to proceed while litigation continues.
The Supreme Court's decision allowed the ballroom construction to move forward after a lower court had halted above-ground work. The Supreme Court's order addressed whether construction could continue during the litigation rather than finally resolving the underlying legal dispute.
The East Wing project is separate from the controversy over the press briefing room, and there is no verified evidence that construction began to turn the briefing room into a swimming pool.
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The History of the White House Pool
The White House indoor pool was built for President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933. Roosevelt, who had been diagnosed with polio, used swimming as exercise. Later presidents also used the pool.
During President Richard Nixon's administration, flooring was installed over the pool in 1970 to create space for the expanding White House press corps. The pool remained beneath the floor.
The space was renamed the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room in 2000 in honor of former White House press secretary James Brady, who was seriously wounded in the 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan.
The White House also has an outdoor swimming pool on the South Grounds that was installed during President Gerald Ford's administration in 1975.
What Happens Next
Trump has ruled out restoring the historic swimming pool, but he has not ruled out relocating the White House press corps, saying in his Truth Social post that he “may move the Fake News to a less obnoxious location.” The White House has not announced where reporters could be moved or whether a relocation will proceed.
Separately, construction on the East Wing project can continue while litigation challenging the work moves through the courts.
Contact Newsweek editor on this story: Edward Pearcey.