Trump plans to begin DC golf course renovation in defiance of judge’s order

President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that renovation of East Potomac golf course in Washington will start on 15 November, with a reopening expected in roughly 15 months. He promised a course among the finest anywhere and attached an artist's rendering, but said nothing about the litigation. That silence matters because U. S. District Judge Ana Reyes has already required notice before substantive construction and has stopped tree removal at the site, which she called "inexcusable.", according to The Guardian.

Reyes responded by telling the government to inform her by 8pm ET Sunday if its stance had changed since Friday, when lawyers described the rebuilding idea as, at most, preliminary thinking with no final agency action. Officials had earlier asked her to throw out the suit as premature. Yet about 500 trees were cut the day after that request, which the government defended as a safety measure tied to a 2019 plan. Reyes has also directed senior administration figures to testify about the cutting. Meanwhile, the government has sought to remove her from the case, alleging hostility toward it; the plaintiffs object.

The DC Preservation League sued in February.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Guardian’s reporting. Read the full story at The Guardian →