US President Donald Trump said Saturday he may relocate the White House press corps, while denying reports that he planned to remove the existing briefing room to restore a historic indoor swimming pool beneath it.
His comments come amid escalating tensions between the administration and news organizations over restrictions on journalists' access to the president.
In a Truth Social post, Trump dismissed reports that he wanted to replace the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room with a swimming pool originally installed during Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration in 1933.
The New York Times reported Tuesday that Trump had discussed moving news conferences elsewhere during an August conversation with then-press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
According to the report, Trump expressed interest in restoring the pool, which was covered during Richard Nixon's administration to accommodate the briefing room.
Trump denied considering the restoration but acknowledged that relocating journalists remained a possibility.
He said the historic pool would not be brought back, rejecting the suggestion that he had contemplated such a project.
The potential relocation follows a series of disputes over media access during Trump's second term, including restrictions affecting several prominent news organizations.
This week, the White House removed The Independent reporter Andrew Feinberg from print press pool duties following a confrontation with Trump in the Oval Office.
White House Correspondents' Association President Jacqui Heinrich criticized the decision as retaliation, warning that journalists must be able to question the president without risking their access.
A White House spokesperson defended the restriction, arguing that journalists have no constitutional entitlement to enter sensitive presidential facilities.
Last month, the administration temporarily barred journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House grounds.
A federal judge subsequently ordered their access restored, finding the restrictions likely unconstitutional, although the administration continues to contest the case.
CNN reporters also remain excluded from the Air Force One press pool.
The disputes have intensified scrutiny of the administration's treatment of journalists, with press advocates raising concerns about protections for independent reporting.