Trump says he may relocate White House press corps to a less obnoxious location

Trump dismissed reports of demolishing the press briefing room and said moving reporters remains a possibility.

By Felo News Desk · Published Sat, 24 Oct 2026 23:10:47 GMT

President Donald Trump confirmed on Saturday that he is considering moving the White House press corps to a different location, saying the idea is under discussion and rejecting claims he planned to tear down the briefing room.

What happened

In a Truth Social post on Friday, Trump wrote that reports of him intending to replace the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room with a historic swimming pool were "Fake News" and that he had "never even thought to do such a stupid thing." He added that he may move the "Fake News" to a "less obnoxious location." The post was published on the same day the New York Times reported that Trump had earlier suggested the move to former press secretary Karoline Leavitt in August, a proposal that was not acted upon during her tenure, which ended on August 27.

What the reports add

The Independent noted that Trump rejected a report claiming he intended to tear down the current briefing room to restore the pool built during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency, and that he had never considered such an action. The outlet also mentioned that Trump has repeatedly criticized media outlets as "Fake News" during a recent press gaggle. Al Jazeera reported the same Truth Social quotation and added that the proposal to move journalists out of the Brady room was first reported by the New York Times on Tuesday. Both outlets cite the same social‑media post but differ in emphasis: the Independent focuses on the denial of demolition, while Al Jazeera highlights the broader context of a fractious relationship with journalists.

What was said

Trump wrote on Truth Social, "I NEVER even thought to do such a stupid thing!" and later added, "I may move the Fake News to a less obnoxious location." The Independent reported that Trump said he had "never even thought to do such a stupid thing" in response to the demolition claim. Al Jazeera quoted the same Truth Social statement and described it as a rejection of the pool‑restoration report.

How it came about

The idea of moving the press corps traces back to an August discussion between Trump and then‑press secretary Karoline Leavitt, as reported by the New York Times. Leavitt left the White House in late August to join Fox News, and her successor, Katie Zacharia, was appointed on October 9 (see Felo coverage). Zacharia’s first briefing on October 14 drew criticism and highlighted the administration’s tightening control over media access (Felo coverage). The recent statement follows a series of actions restricting media outlets, including bans on CNN, MS NOW and Politico in September (Felo coverage).

Key facts

President Donald Trump said he may move the White House press corps to a less obnoxious location. (independent.co.uk)
Trump rejected a report that he planned to tear down the briefing room to restore a historic swimming pool. (independent.co.uk)
The New York Times reported that Trump discussed the relocation idea with former press secretary Karoline Leavitt in August. (aljazeera.com)