---
title: "Trump Renews Idea of Evicting Press from the White House: What We Know"
description: "According to the NYT, Donald Trump is renewing the idea of evicting journalists from the White House and replacing the press room with Roosevelt's pool. The initiative increases pressure on the media following access restrictions for CNN, MSNBC, and Politico."
date: 2026-10-21T05:06:45.654Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/trump-evicting-press-white-house
tags: [trump, white-house, press-freedom, us-politics, media]
author: "Andrey Kosynko"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Trump Renews Idea of Evicting Press from the White House: What We Know

![Donald Trump speaking at a podium with a serious expression in the briefing room](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/21/trump-vyselenie-pressy-iz-belogo-doma/trump-vyselenie-pressy-iz-belogo-doma-1.webp)

## Key Points

- Trump suggested in the Oval Office that his press secretary remove journalists from the briefing room, calling it her 'final legacy'
- The president wants to restore Franklin Roosevelt's 1933 indoor pool in place of the press room, which was covered during the Nixon administration
- In September, the Trump administration restricted access for CNN, MSNBC, and Politico and lost in court, but, according to reports, intends to reinstate the ban
- The NYT calls the potential relocation of the media to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building a symbolic move that would be difficult for future presidents to reverse

U.S. President Donald Trump is once again pushing the idea of evicting members of the press from the White House building, according to The New York Times. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the American publication. According to the NYT, in late August during one of his last meetings with then-White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt in the Oval Office, Trump suggested in the presence of several senior officials that she remove journalists from the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, which would effectively mean removing news organizations from the White House. According to him, this would be her “final legacy” as press secretary.

### The Oval Office Conversation and Leavitt's Departure

As the NYT notes, citing three sources, this proposal never gained traction during Leavitt's time at the White House: Trump approached her with this request multiple times over several months, but it was never implemented. On August 27, Karoline Leavitt left the White House due to the birth of a child, and the initiative was effectively left without an executor. The publication emphasizes that the question of relocating the media from the White House may seem relatively minor, but against the backdrop of Trump's ongoing attacks on journalists, it takes on a pronounced symbolic character.

### FDR's Pool as an Argument

Trump told his aides that he would like to restore the indoor pool that President Franklin Roosevelt built in 1933 as a therapeutic treatment for his legs, which were affected by polio. Later, as is well known, Richard Nixon covered this pool to make room for the press. On September 27, Trump posted a couple of images on social media showing the briefing room as it currently appears with the caption “Fake News,” as well as another image representing the same space as a gilded pool with the caption “FDR Pool.”

### Constitutional Context and Reversibility of the Decision

The NYT points out that the proximity of the media to the U.S. executive branch has long been an acknowledgment of the importance of a free press in a constitutional democracy. That is why, according to the publication, evicting journalists from the White House would be a decision that future presidents would find difficult to reverse. The publication also notes that Trump raised the idea of evicting the media during his first term, and a growing number of people in his inner circle support this initiative.

### Restricting Access and Litigation

As a reminder, in September the U.S. President announced he was restricting the access of CNN, MSNBC, and Politico to the White House, explaining the decision by the spread of “fake news.” The Trump administration soon lost the corresponding court case, but information recently appeared in the media that the president intends to reinstate the ban. Several people from Trump's inner circle, according to the NYT, believe that moving the media, most likely to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building across the street, could be the final stage in a series of large-scale attacks on the press, which, in their estimation, have already gone further than most of them expected.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Трамп пытается выселить прессу из Белого дома, - NYT](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/tramp-namagaetsya-viseliti-presu-bilogo-domu-1792557868.html) - Primary source: NYT recap. Public facts (Leavitt's departure on 08/27, social media posts on 09/27, access restrictions and lost court case) are confirmed; details of the Oval Office conversation are based on anonymous NYT sources.
- [Трамп выгнал журналистов нескольких СМИ из Белого дома](https://www.mk.ru/politics/2026/09/19/tramp-vygnal-zhurnalistov-neskolkikh-smi-iz-belogo-doma.html) - Confirms Trump's public statement on the Truth platform about the 'immediate' expulsion of several news agencies due to 'fake news,' which aligns with the article's premise.

## FAQ

### What exactly did Trump propose to do with the journalists in the White House?

According to the NYT, he proposed to press secretary Karoline Leavitt that she remove journalists from the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, which would effectively mean removing news organizations from the White House.

### Why is there talk of Franklin Roosevelt's pool?

Trump would like to restore the indoor pool built by Roosevelt in 1933 for therapeutic procedures related to his polio. Later, Richard Nixon covered this pool to make room for media representatives.

### Was this idea implemented under Leavitt?

No. According to three sources, Trump approached Leavitt with this request multiple times, but during her time in the White House, the proposal did not gain traction; she left the White House on August 27 due to the birth of her child.

### What happened to the access of CNN, MSNBC, and Politico?

In September, Trump announced restrictions on their access to the White House, citing the spread of 'fake news.' The administration lost in court, but, according to media reports, the president intends to reinstate the ban.