Donald Trump has reignited his feud with the mainstream media by joking that the White House press pool could be replaced with an actual swimming pool.
The president’s strained relationship with the press has escalated in recent days, with MS NOW, CNN and Politico barred from the White House. Each outlet is now pursuing legal action in an effort to regain access.
Trump appeared to take another swipe at the news organizations on Truth Social, hinting that the White House press room could undergo a decidedly more literal transformation.
He shared a split-screen image showing the existing White House Press Room alongside a lavish swimming pool design.
The press room image carried the words “Fake News,” while the proposed pool was identified as the “FDR Pool.”
The imagined space appeared relatively compact, dominated by the pool—named for former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt—and decorated with the gold details Trump frequently favors.
Trump has repeatedly used artificial intelligence and digitally altered images to present both serious and fanciful concepts for renovations to the White House and Washington, DC.
The news organizations were excluded last Friday after Trump accused them of spreading “fake news” in an angry social media statement. According to reports, aide Natalie Harp had shown him a series of unfavorable stories shortly before the ban was announced.
Donald Trump has mocked the mainstream media by floating the idea of replacing the White House press pool with a swimming pool
On Truth Social, Trump shared a side-by-side view of the current White House Press Room and a luxurious pool, suggesting the press area could one day receive a very different makeover
Despite the court ruling, a Politico reporter had their credentials seized on Thursday after the order permitting the outlet’s return took effect. An MS NOW journalist was also reportedly denied entry after their credentials were taken.
The three organizations filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday, and the legal challenge moved forward at striking speed.
Major broadcasters, including Fox News, NBC, CBS and ABC, responded by withholding coverage in a show of solidarity. The networks make up the television pool, which shares presidential coverage on a rotating schedule.
The White House appeared to reverse course on Thursday, allowing reporters back inside after initially blocking them ahead of the meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“CNN was allowed back into the White House on Thursday at noon,” host Kaitlan Collins wrote on X following the confusion.
The apparent reopening came after US District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary restraining order early Thursday. The decision effectively required the administration to restore access for Politico, CNN and MS NOW, which had been banned the previous Friday.
That reprieve seemed to last only a few hours. CNN later reported on air that it had once again been blocked as White House events surrounding the state dinner began.
“CNN was denied access moments ago to cover the guest arrivals for President Trump’s state dinner for Xi Jinping,” Erin Burnett said.
Trump labeled the press room image “Fake News” and the imagined swimming pool “FDR Pool”
Burnett added that White House officials had declined to confirm whether the media ban had actually been lifted.
She added that it was unclear ‘if, when CNN could return’ to covering the White House.
MS Now senior producer Kyle Griffin confirmed that his network had also been denied access.
The network’s White House reporter Laura Barrón-López said on air that when she spoke to a staffer she was told to ‘talk to Steven,’ in reference to White House Communications Director Steven Cheung.
The media blackout has prevented widespread coverage of the meetings, and the broadcasters have mostly not taken any of the events live.
New media outlets like Real America’s Voice, a MAGA-friendly network, have filled the void with YouTube streams.
Given the ban on CNN and MS NOW, the broadcast tents they used to occupy on White House grounds are now vacant with their lights off, and correspondents have opted instead to shoot live shots from the streets outside the presidential residence.
It is unclear when the White House will officially restore the outlets’ credentials.
