Donald Trump has continued his attacks on the mainstream media, joking that he could eliminate the White House press pool and replace it with an actual swimming pool.
The President’s distrust of the press has intensified in recent weeks. His administration barred MS NOW, CNN and Politico from the White House, prompting all three outlets to pursue legal action in an effort to regain access.
Trump has now used Truth Social to suggest that the White House press pool could undergo a far more literal transformation.
He shared a side-by-side image showing the existing White House Press Room beside a lavish swimming pool.
The press room image was marked “Fake News,” while the pool was labeled “FDR Pool.”
The imagined room appeared cramped, dominated by the proposed pool—named for former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt—and decorated with several of Trump’s favored gold accents.
Trump has repeatedly used AI-generated images and Photoshop to promote both genuine and fictional concepts for major renovations to the White House and Washington, DC.
The President announced the ban on the outlets last Friday in an angry social media post accusing them of spreading “fake news.” He was reportedly shown a selection of negative coverage by aide Natalie Harp shortly before the ban was announced.
Donald Trump has continued mocking the mainstream media, suggesting that the White House press pool could be replaced by an actual swimming pool
Trump used Truth Social to suggest that the White House press pool could take on a more literal meaning, sharing a side-by-side image of the press room and a luxurious swimming pool
Despite a court ruling allowing access to resume, a Politico reporter had their credentials confiscated on Thursday. An MS NOW reporter was also denied entry and had their credentials seized, according to the outlet.
The three organizations filed suit against the Trump administration on Monday, and the case has moved quickly through the courts.
In a show of solidarity, major broadcasters including Fox News, NBC, CBS and ABC have declined to cover the President. The networks form the TV pool that rotates responsibility for presidential coverage.
The White House appeared to reverse course on the media ban Thursday, permitting reporters to return after initially turning them away ahead of Donald Trump’s summit with Xi Jinping.
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“CNN was allowed back into the White House on Thursday at noon,” host Kaitlan Collins wrote on X after the confusion.
The apparent reversal followed a decision by US District Judge Timothy Kelly, who issued a temporary restraining order early Thursday. The order effectively required the Trump administration to restore access for Politico, CNN and MS NOW, which had been barred the previous Friday.
However, the reprieve appeared to last only a few hours. CNN announced on air that it had once again been denied access as preparations for the state dinner got underway.
“CNN was denied access moments ago to cover the guest arrivals for President Trump’s state dinner for Xi Jinping,” Erin Burnett reported.
The press room image was labeled “Fake News,” while the swimming pool image carried the name “FDR Pool”
Burnett said the White House had declined to confirm whether the ban had officially been lifted.
She added that it remained unclear “if, when CNN could return” to covering the White House.
Kyle Griffin, a senior producer at MS NOW, confirmed that his network had also been refused entry.
The network’s White House reporter, Laura Barrón-López, said a staffer directed her to “talk to Steven,” referring to White House Communications Director Steven Cheung.
The restrictions have limited broad coverage of the meetings, with the major broadcasters largely choosing not to air the events live.
Newer outlets, including MAGA-friendly network Real America’s Voice, have moved in to fill the gap with YouTube livestreams.
With CNN and MS NOW excluded, the broadcast tents the networks previously occupied on White House grounds are sitting empty and dark. Their correspondents have instead delivered live reports from streets outside the presidential residence.
It remains unclear when the White House will formally restore the outlets’ credentials.
