Trump’s Golf Course Post Clashes With Court Filings

President Donald Trump announced plans on social media to close the East Potomac Golf Course starting Nov. 15 for a complete rebuild, directly contradicting his own administration’s sworn statement in federal court two days earlier that no final decision existed. The disclosure forced U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes to demand an explanation from government lawyers by 8 p.m. Sunday on whether their legal posture had changed.

In a filing Friday, the Justice Department told Reyes that Trump had given “at most” preliminary thought to the project and that “there is no final agency action.” His subsequent post included an artist’s rendering of the redesigned course and stated it would be built to host the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship, the Ryder Cup, and the Presidents Cup.

The contradiction lands at the center of a fast-moving lawsuit filed by the DC Preservation League and two local golfers. Reyes ordered a halt last week to tree removal at the 106-year-old park after crews began cutting over a holiday weekend without notifying the court or the plaintiffs challenging the makeover.

“Our litigation is intended to protect this community jewel for the people and communities it serves and we will continue to work with our plaintiffs to defend it from unlawful and harmful intrusion,” Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, which represents the plaintiffs, said in a statement.

Trump described the existing course as “old, broken, dilapidated, and of no further use or effect,” citing disease-infested trees and a collapsing seawall. He argued the grounds were originally famous for having no trees and unobstructed views of Washington but are now completely overgrown.

Debris from the demolition of the White House East Wing has been dumped on the property to make way for a planned ballroom. The National Park Service confirmed the material tested positive for lead, chromium and other toxic metals.

The golf course renovation is part of a broader push to alter major Washington landmarks. Trump has pursued plans to refurbish the White House and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, including installing his name on the latter facility and constructing a massive arch. Multiple projects have drawn legal challenges.

Reyes scheduled a hearing Monday requiring key Republican administration officials to testify about the tree-cutting operation and its connection to the president’s construction plans. The administration asked Friday for her removal from the case, questioning her impartiality and pointing to what it called egregious behavior during an emergency hearing Oct. 12. Reyes criticized government attorneys for three hours over the lack of notification before the chainsaws started.

Plaintiffs requested over the weekend that Reyes issue a longer-term preliminary injunction or stay to block further work while the litigation proceeds.