ع
President Donald Trump shared images of trash, damaged fences and a collapsing seawall at Washington’s East Potomac Golf Links on October 20, 2026, urging a federal judge to examine what he termed “Trash Island” following a contentious court hearing. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes had just rejected a Justice Department bid for her recusal from litigation over the administration’s plans to remake the century-old public course. Trump, who has made the renovation a priority in his second term, responded on Truth Social by attacking the lawsuit as frivolous and insisting the project would proceed to the highest standards of golf. The president’s posts came amid a broader push to restore several landmarks in the nation’s capital, including fountains, statues and the Kennedy Center.
The D.C. Preservation League and two regular golfers filed suit in February 2026 to halt the overhaul, arguing that the National Park Service had skirted required environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act. Court filings indicate the agency had used the site as a dumping ground for debris from last year’s White House East Wing demolition without clear explanation. Plaintiffs contend the changes would eliminate an affordable public recreation space in favor of an exclusive venue few average players could enjoy or afford. A Reuters dispatch reported that the group warned the project could permanently damage a historic piece of American parkland.[[1]](https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/judge-blasts-trumps-doj-over-inexcusable-tree-removal-dc-golf-course-2026-10-12/)
Judge Reyes expressed fury in an October 12 hearing after more than 430 trees were removed from the course over the preceding weekend despite prior assurances that irreversible actions would be flagged in advance. “You did not do your best. You did your absolute worst,” she told government lawyers, according to transcripts cited by NBC News. The judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking further tree cutting through October 26 and later concluded that officials had acted with haste because of presidential pressure rather than any renewed interest in a 2019 tree-management proposal. She has signaled that Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and other officials could be summoned for testimony.
Trump announced the course would close on November 15 for a 15-month renovation designed by architect Tom Fazio, with the aim of creating a world-class layout able to host professional tournaments. In his October 20 posts the president described the existing facility as broken, dilapidated and dangerous while promising it would become an “Island of Beauty and Success.” The project forms part of the administration’s wider restoration efforts across Washington, which a Just the News report listed alongside upgrades at Meridian Park, Union Station and Arlington Bridge. Cost estimates for the golf course work range from $20 million to $49 million, according to CNN reporting.
East Potomac Golf Links opened in 1921 on land reclaimed from the Potomac River marshes in the late 19th century and has operated for more than a century as one of the National Park Service’s three public courses in the city. National Park Service cultural landscape records show the site retains much of its historic layout and served as a model for municipal golf during the sport’s golden age. The course played a role in civil rights history when African American golfers staged a 1941 protest that led to the integration of public courses in Washington. It logged 124,500 rounds in 2025, making it the busiest of the city’s public facilities before the Trump administration terminated the operating lease held by the National Links Trust at the end of that year.
The National Park Service has maintained that the recent tree removal aligned with long-standing plans, yet Judge Reyes found on the current record that the pace was driven by the president’s desire for rapid redesign rather than bureaucratic momentum. Additional briefings are scheduled in the coming days as the court weighs whether to extend restraints on the project. The administration has argued the lawsuit is premature because plans remain conceptual, while plaintiffs insist irreversible damage is already occurring. No ruling on the full merits has been issued as the dispute continues.
