Trump floats moving press corps

President Donald Trump said he could move the White House press corps to a different location on Friday. He described the potential new site as a "less obnoxious location" in a post on Truth Social. The president also addressed reports regarding the future of the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room.

Trump rejected accounts that he planned to remove the briefing room to restore a swimming pool beneath it. He labeled those reports "Fake News" and wrote that he never considered such an idea. However, he indicated that the dozens of reporters covering the White House might be relocated.

The New York Times reported on Tuesday that Trump discussed moving journalists out of the current room with Karoline Leavitt. Leavitt served as press secretary until August 27. According to the report, the proposal did not advance during her tenure.

The pool in question was built in 1933 for President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Roosevelt used the pool to ease soreness from polio. In the 1970s, President Richard Nixon had a floor constructed over the pool to create space for the briefing room. The structure still exists beneath the current floor.

Leavitt told HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher on Friday that Trump was "flirting" with restoring the pool. She said he might want to bring it back to its former glory but acknowledged uncertainty about whether he would follow through.

The comments come amid heightened tension 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 the order likely unconstitutional, forcing the White House to restore access. The administration is currently fighting that ruling.

Trump also confronted Andrew Feinberg, a correspondent for The Independent, at an Oval Office event on Tuesday. Trump questioned Feinberg's health while the reporter attempted to ask a question. The White House shared the moment on social media.

Any changes to the briefing room would join other alterations to the White House property since Trump returned to power. The administration has demolished the East Wing for a new ballroom, paved the center of the Rose Garden, and built a helipad on the South Lawn. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.