Trump posts White House press room image with 'FDR pool' twist

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump shared an altered image of the White House press briefing room replaced by a swimming pool, taking another swipe at journalists he has accused of spreading “FAKE NEWS.”

The image labels the briefing room “Fake News — Before” and the pool “FDR Pool — After,” referencing a swimming pool built for former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1933.

Trump posted the image on Truth Social late Sunday evening, September 27, following a recent court order blocking his ban on three news outlets from the White House.

Trump's image targets White House press corps

The side-by-side graphic shows the current briefing room alongside a lavish swimming pool, presenting the latter as its replacement. 

The room currently houses White House journalists and is used for press conferences and media broadcasts.

The image does not establish whether Trump intends to renovate the space or is simply taunting the press corps. 

Its labels, however, directly connect the proposed pool with his criticism of the media.

The original pool was built in 1933 on the White House’s West Terrace, between the White House and the West Wing, as per Mediaite and Benzinga.

According to the White House Historical Association, Roosevelt used swimming as exercise after his polio diagnosis.

Former Presidents Harry Truman, John F Kennedy, and Lyndon Johnson also regularly used the indoor pool, according to the outlets.

Its history gives the image a specific connection to the building Trump is depicting.

President Trump's media ban faced a court order

Trump’s post followed a dispute over White House press access involving CNN, MS NOW and Politico. 

On September 18, he banned the three outlets, accusing them of publishing “FAKE NEWS” about his administration.

Trump said the decision followed “cumulative stories” that he believed were deliberately negative toward Republicans. 

CNN called the threatened ban an “illegal assault” on its First Amendment rights, while Politico vowed to continue reporting and defend its rights.

A federal judge subsequently ordered the administration to restore the outlets’ White House access, finding that their press credentials were likely revoked in violation of constitutional due process protections.

Judge Tim Kelly issued a 14-day restraining order blocking the ban. 

Major television networks had also suspended participation in the White House video pool after CNN was excluded from the rotation.

The court order came as the president continued to publicly criticize news organizations, including through the image depicting the press room as a swimming pool.

Nixon covered the pool for the press room

The pool shown in Trump’s post was covered during former President Richard Nixon’s administration in 1970, when the White House press corps was expanding and needed more space, as per the outlets.

The pool was preserved beneath the floor, leaving open the possibility of restoring it in the future. 

Nixon’s administration converted the space into the press room now used by White House journalists, the outlets reported.

Former President Gerald Ford later installed an outdoor swimming pool on the White House’s South Grounds in 1975. 

The outdoor pool remains separate from the historic indoor pool beneath the briefing room.

Trump’s image revisits the building’s history while depicting the press room as something that could be replaced. 

It remains unclear whether the post signals any actual plans to restore the indoor pool.