White House May Turn Media Briefing Room Into A Swimming Pool

The Trump administration may remove the media out of the White House and use the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room as a swimming pool, The New York Times reports. The pool was added in 1933 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who had be stricken with polio. President Richard M. Nixon had it covered over and turned the space into the press briefing room. The proposed move would be highly symbolic given President Trump’s antipathy toward the media, and would be hard for future presidents to undo.

Last updated Oct 22, 2026 by ATDb automated enrichment