WASHINGTON — The White House press pool could soon take on a very different meaning.
President Trump on Sunday needled the news media by suggesting that the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room could be turned back into an indoor swimming pool — its original purpose under former President Franklin D. Roosevelt — as his conflict with the press continues.
On Truth Social, Trump shared before-and-after images showing the White House briefing room transformed into an elaborate swimming pool decorated with gold accents.
The post came as Trump seeks to block reporters from CNN, MS Now and Politico from entering the White House grounds.
US District Judge Timothy Kelly ordered the White House on Thursday to restore access for journalists from the three outlets for at least two weeks while the legal dispute proceeds.
Trump’s decision also prompted the five major television news organizations in the White House press pool — ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC — to temporarily suspend their participation. The outlets rotate expanded access to the president, and their move contributed to complications in obtaining video of Trump earlier last week.
Roosevelt had the indoor pool constructed in 1933 while he was living with polio. Several presidents who followed him, including Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, were known to use it regularly.
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Former President Richard Nixon later ordered flooring installed over the pool to create a briefing room. The space was eventually named for James Brady, the White House press secretary under Ronald Reagan who was seriously wounded during John Hinckley Jr.’s assassination attempt against the president.
The original pool structure remains beneath the briefing room. The White House also has an outdoor swimming pool, built by former President Gerald Ford.
Trump has pursued a series of renovations during his second term, revamping areas including the Palm Room, the colonnade and the North Portico. He has also repeatedly promoted his proposed $400 million ballroom and recently unveiled a new granite helipad on the South Lawn.
The billionaire real-estate developer has also pursued projects around Washington, DC, including restoring fountains, coating statues near the Lincoln Memorial in 23K gold and renovating the Reflecting Pool.
One project, however, has not appeared to interest him: renovating the White House press briefing room.
“I don’t want to do that,” Trump told a reporter last year when asked about renovating the briefing room.
“I don’t want you to be comfortable,” he added with a quip. “No, I don’t want to make life comfortable.”