Donald Trump Really Wants This Golf Course
The government is going to considerable—bordering on absurd—lengths to make a D.C. park worthy of the PGA.
Donald Trump has been treating a planned golf course in Washington, D.C. as if it were an emergency, posting about it on social media at least 15 times in recent days. The administration has brought in senior Justice Department lawyers to defend the plan in court. The location chosen for the golf course is East Potomac Park, a historic site near the National Mall, and its construction would involve the removal of trees and alteration of park layout.
The government argues that the tree removals are part of a 2019 restoration plan, but critics point to Trump's pressure and the coincidence of the tree removal with the golf course plan. The design plans for the golf course have sparked backlash from locals who use the park for recreation, as it could remove access to popular routes and picnic areas, and potentially alter the cherry-blossom trees.
The government maintains that no final decision has been made on the golf course plan, arguing that Trump's statements cannot be scrutinized in court just yet, but the situation has been described as contradictory and absurd, with the government seemingly having to defend a plan that is both being built and not being built.
Written by urgent.news from The Atlantic's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
