Judge chastises Trump administration plan to push ahead overhaul of DC golf course
The Trump administration wants to turn a historic public golf course into championship links. Despite a judge's order, hundreds of trees were cut down to make way for the renovation.
Katie Zacharia, White House press secretary, took her final steps on Friday, leaving behind a post on X that seemed to contain a blurred map related to President Trump's plans for the East Potomac Golf Course. The blurred map was quickly identified as East Potomac Park, the site of a contentious redevelopment debate. The administration has been embroiled in a legal battle over the East Potomac, claiming recent tree-clearing was separate from the president's proposed redesign.
However, a federal judge has questioned this account and is examining the progress of the administration's plans. On Saturday, the blurred map disappeared from Zacharia's post, and Trump announced on Truth Social that restoration work would begin on the golf course on November 15, despite a court order that temporarily bans substantial work on the site.
The administration maintains that the tree-cutting was separate from the redesign, citing recommendations from a 2019 cultural-landscape report. Legal proceedings are set to continue, with Trump's latest social media post taking a direct shot at Judge Reyes ahead of a hearing scheduled for Monday.
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