Donald Trump is not done attacking the press corps; in fact, he may only just be getting started.
A blistering ban prevented CNN, MS Now, and Politico from accessing the White House for a week before a federal judge ordered Trump to reinstate reporter passes this month.
The president’s presumed next move, though, could permanently reshape his relationship with the media.
It’s the type of idea that builds legacy, something the 80-year-old has been feverishly pursuing.
Trump’s second term in office has become synonymous with retribution, restoration, and renovation.
He targets political enemies and pushes his grand Washington, D.C., makeover plans by promising to improve landmarks.
His vision inspired the redecorated Oval Office now covered in gold appliqués, as well as the destruction of the East Wing and the work-in-progress ballroom being erected in its place.
If a thinly veiled “announcement” has any credence, the politician may be seeking yet another White House alteration and a permanent means to displace the press.
On Sept. 27, he posted side-by-side images on Truth Social: one of the current media conference room labeled “Fake News Before” and a white room with arched windows and doorways trimmed in gold, housing an indoor pool.
He titled the latter “FDR Pool After.”
It is unclear whether Trump intends to bring construction crews into the executive mansion or is trolling detractors.
Independent reporter Aaron Parnas reshared the post on IG Threads. He wrote, “Trump suggests tearing down the press room at the White House to rebuild the FDR pool instead. The press room currently sits on top of the pool.”
The current press room was built in 1970. The space was originally a pool installed to assist with President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s physical therapy for polio.
The natatorium remains under the floorboards now covered by blue carpet and chairs for reporters and photojournalists.
A reaction to the post read, “He wants to tear down the press room out of spite, because he isn’t allowed to ban news reporters he doesn’t like…..tantrum.”
Another viewer stated, “HE NEEDS TO F—G STOP THIS S—T BECAUSE IT’S NOT HIS F—G HOUSE, IT’S OUR HOUSE.”
Then the discussion nosedived into banter about the renovation failure that Trump can’t seem to get right.
A critic wondered, “Shouldn’t Trump finish repairing the Reflecting Pool he screwed up first before making another mess?”
“He’s not so good at pools as we’ve discovered,” a heckler jeered.
The Abraham Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was resealed this spring and briefly reopened.
However, an algae overgrowth turned the water green, and shortly afterward the sealant began to peel in large chunks due to mistakes the contractor has acknowledged.
Trump tried to blame the $16 million disgrace on vandals, even going as far as ordering the Department of Justice to pursue cases against multiple people.
The landmark has been drained and fenced off from visitors since July for repairs that have not begun.
“Now his new pet project. To redo the WH pool which sits under the WH press offices. A pool that hasn’t been used in 56 years!! Built by FDR for Water Polo,” harped someone else piling on Trump’s press pool.
An echoing sentiment shared by many read, “Typical – cause a problem, destroy it and then abandon.”
Trump is also in the midst of a court battle involving the closure of the Kennedy Center.
He hijacked the center, temporarily added his name to it, and then threatened that it’s in imminent danger of bankruptcy if the courts do not approve his two-year renovation plan and his demand to be permanently honored on the complex’s campus.
The living memorial is dedicated to former Democratic President John F. Kennedy. It was open for 55 years before Trump tanked its ticket sales and visitation.
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