EXCLUSIVE: Trump Golf Course Fight Escalates — Opponents Accuse Administration of Starting Historic D.C. Overhaul Before Final Approval
Trump's golf course overhaul has landed him in a fresh legal fight in Washington, D.C.
Sept. 3 2026, Published 6:30 p.m. ET
President Trump's effort to remake a historic Washington, D.C., golf course has erupted into a fresh federal court battle, with opponents accusing the administration of moving ahead with major work before a final redesign has even been approved, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
According to court documents obtained by Radar, the D.C. Preservation League and two local golfers told a federal judge Thursday, September 3, that construction-related activity at East Potomac Golf Course has "significantly accelerated" in recent days.
Historic Golf Course at Center of Fight
East Potomac Golf Course is at the center of Trump's controversial D.C. overhaul.
The plaintiffs claim the activity includes the removal of more than 60 trees, the cutting down of a cherry tree near the Blue Course's 14th hole, surveying work, and the staging of heavy equipment, including an excavator and Bobcats, around the public course.
The filing comes as the preservation group continues its legal fight against the Department of the Interior and National Park Service over plans for the golf property.
Government lawyers have pushed back, telling the plaintiffs that the activity amounts to "routine" maintenance and that it remains unclear whether current tree removal and other work are tied to any future redesign because "no decision has been reached."
But the plaintiffs say what is happening on the ground tells a different story.
Tree Removal Sparks Fresh Alarm
A golfer claimed freshly cut stumps at East Potomac showed no signs of rot.
Dave Roberts, one of the golfers suing the government, said in a sworn declaration that he watched a crew cut down a cherry tree near the course's 14th green while a person wearing what appeared to be a National Park Service-style uniform stood nearby supervising.
Roberts said he later returned to the course and saw numerous fresh stumps, some of which he claimed did not appear hollow or rotten.
Another witness, Kalli Krumpos, said she visited East Potomac on September 2 and saw large trucks, a backhoe and a small bulldozer.
Krumpos claimed one worker told her the project would last "about three weeks" and that crews were "almost done with one side."
Trump's Golf Plans Draw Scrutiny
Trump's push to remake East Potomac has triggered a growing legal battle in Washington.
The latest filings also reveal an escalating legal dispute over whether the plaintiffs should be allowed to continue their case.
The Justice Department argued this week that two recent Supreme Court rulings support dismissing the lawsuit, claiming the plaintiffs lack legal standing and that there has been no final agency action on the redesign.
Government lawyers argued that mere "offense, disagreement and distaste" over a potential redesign are not enough to establish the type of injury needed to proceed in federal court.
'Toxic Debris' Dumped on Property Claim
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Heavy equipment positioned near the golf course as opponents challenge the work.
The plaintiffs fired back Thursday, insisting their alleged harm goes far beyond aesthetics.
They claimed replacing East Potomac with a championship-style course would interfere with their longtime recreational use of the property and accused federal agencies of already having "adopted and begun implementing a plan to destroy East Potomac Golf Course."
They also alleged the government dumped "toxic debris" on the property as part of the plan.
The dispute is now before U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes as both sides battle over whether the case, and the proposed overhaul, can move forward.
