Trump Says He May Relocate White House Press Corps to a "Less Obnoxious Location"

United States President Donald Trump has said he could move the White House press corps to a different location, possibly away from the executive residence. The comments came in a Truth Social post on Friday, in which he also pushed back on reports about the future of the press briefing room.

Trump dismissed accounts that he intended to remove the briefing room in order to restore a historic swimming pool beneath it, calling them "Fake News". "I NEVER even thought to do such a stupid thing!" he wrote. He did, however, indicate that the dozens of reporters who cover the White House might be relocated "to a less obnoxious location".

The New York Times reported on Tuesday that Trump had pitched his former press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on moving journalists out of the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room. According to the report, the idea did not advance during Leavitt's tenure, which ended on August 27.

The pool in question was built in 1933 in the West Wing for President Franklin D Roosevelt, who had polio and often swam to ease soreness, according to his presidential library. In the 1970s, former President Richard Nixon had a floor built over the pool to make room for a briefing room serving the growing press corps. The pool still sits beneath that floor. The Times reported that Trump told aides he wanted to bring it back.

Leavitt said in a Friday interview that Trump was "flirting" with restoring the pool. Appearing on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher", she said he "maybe, wants to restore it to all of its glory", adding: "I don't know if he'll do it."

The remarks arrive during a tense period between Trump and the reporters who cover him. Last month, he barred journalists from CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO from the White House, a move that free speech proponents said violated First Amendment protections. A US federal judge ruled the order was likely unconstitutional, and the White House was forced to restore the journalists' access. The administration continues to fight that ruling.

Trump also regularly criticizes members of the media whom he accuses of unfair coverage. At an Oval Office event on Tuesday, he lashed out at Andrew Feinberg, The Independent's White House correspondent, as Feinberg tried to ask a question. "What's wrong with you? Are you a sick person? I actually think there's something wrong with you", Trump said. The White House amplified the moment on social media.

Any change to the briefing room would add to a long list of controversial projects that have altered the White House property since Trump returned to power last year. He has demolished the East Wing to build a new ballroom, put concrete pavers over the lawn at the centre of the Rose Garden, and built a helipad on the South Lawn.

The White House did not immediately respond to Al Jazeera's request for comment.