Trump plans 15-month DC golf overhaul amid lawsuit

President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, D.C., will close Nov. 15 for about 15 months. He said the Interior Department under Secretary Doug Burgum, working with architect Tom Fazio, has planned a championship course that will stay open to the public and can host events such as the U.S. Open, PGA Championship, Ryder Cup, and Presidents Cup. Trump called the current course old, broken, dilapidated, and of no further use. The announcement lands amid a lawsuit by a historic preservation organization represented by Democracy Forward and two D.C. residents. After roughly 430 trees were cut over a holiday weekend, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes temporarily barred further tree removal and landscaping, said the episode cost the government all of its credibility, and required three business days' written notice before any irreparable modification. National Park Service officials told her they knew of no formal plan beyond Trump's and Burgum's public statements. The Justice Department asked Reyes to recuse. Skye Perryman of Democracy Forward said the park is a national park and recreational facility meant for everyone and that the litigation aims to defend it from unlawful and harmful intrusion. A Monday hearing is set for acting NPS and Interior officials to testify under oath; how the court will treat the Nov. 15 closure remains pending.