US President Donald Trump speaks during a rally in Syracuse, New York, US, October 9, 2026. REUTERS/Nathan Howard
President Donald Trump wants everyone to know he isn’t bringing back the White House swimming pool. But he may still kick the press out of the room that sits on top of 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 on Truth Social Saturday morning.
“Although I may move the Fake News to a less obnoxious location, the old swimming pool will never be brought back,” he continued. “I NEVER even thought to do such a stupid thing! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
Trump didn’t say which report he meant, or where the press might be sent.
The James S. Brady Press Briefing Room was built in 1970 over the indoor pool that President Franklin D. Roosevelt had installed in the West Wing in 1933 for physical therapy related to his polio. President Richard Nixon had the pool covered to make room for the growing White House press corps. The empty pool is still under the floor.
Trump has fought with the press throughout his second term. His administration has taken control of the White House press pool, cut access for some outlets and restricted reporters’ access to parts of the West Wing.
His post also comes amid a wave of construction at the White House, including the ballroom being built where the East Wing once stood.
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