Trump sets November start for East Potomac course renovation

Donald Trump said renovation work at East Potomac Golf Course in Washington would start on November 15, although a judge had ordered that significant work could not proceed without prior notification to the court. LBC reported that the planned project would shut the course for 15 months.

The announcement sets out a new start date after Trump had earlier said work would begin in September. Trump described the planned transformation as making the course “one of the Best and Most Spectacular Golf Courses anywhere in the World.” That is his characterization of the project; the account does not provide further details about the renovation’s design or scope.

The course is the site of the proposed work, and the judge’s order concerns the process for proceeding with significant work, according to LBC. The dispute also involves the government’s earlier work at the course. LBC reported that the government removed around 500 trees, saying the removal would improve park safety and bring the site closer to its original design.

The article does not state when that work occurred or give details about the court’s treatment of the tree removal. On Friday, the government filed a motion asking to disqualify the judge from the lawsuit.

Court records cited by LBC show the government argued that she had demonstrated “deep-seated and unequivocal antipathy toward the Trump Administration.” That is the government’s stated basis for seeking her removal; the account does not report a ruling on the motion.

The announced November start and the pending request to disqualify the judge are separate developments in the dispute over the course. The judge’s order requires prior court notification before significant work can proceed, while Trump has announced a planned start date.

LBC’s account does not establish whether the court has received the required notification or how the order applies to the announced work. The project’s stated schedule is a 15-month closure, and the earlier September start date Trump had announced was superseded by his later November 15 plan.

The government’s stated rationale for removing the trees was park safety and restoring the site closer to its original design; Trump’s stated aim is a major course renovation. The court’s ruling on the government’s disqualification motion and the status of the planned work are not reported in LBC’s account.