Facts
- Two federal judges in Washington were scheduled to hold hearings on October 30, 2026, on Trump administration plans for an East Potomac golf course and a giant arch that would reshape parts of the capital, PBS NewsHour reported. The article, published Friday, did not report the outcome of either hearing.
- The first case concerns East Potomac Golf Links. Judge Ana Reyes of the U.S. District Court ordered a hearing after President Donald Trump’s Truth Social posts, which began October 18, indicated plans for the course. Officials from the Interior Department, the Justice Department and the National Park Service had been unable to confirm those plans under questioning, PBS reported.
- The Justice Department filed a notice Wednesday night saying the plans were real. It said the Park Service would submit a rendering by Tom Fazio to the National Capital Planning Commission on October 30, describing ‘a rendering designed by Tom Fazio for a World Class, championship-level golf course.’
- Construction was expected to begin November 15, and Trump has said the park would close for 15 months. Reyes questioned Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. about the plans. Woodward mentioned tree cutting that he said occurred earlier in October and was not part of the closure plan. Reyes replied, ‘News flash.’ She said she intended to appoint a special master to investigate the administration’s statements to the court.
- The second case concerns a 250-foot (75-meter) arch planned for Memorial Circle, which would stand 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty from base to torch. The two projects are about three miles (five kilometers) apart.
- Judge Tanya Chutkan was scheduled to hear a motion for a temporary halt to construction of the arch, which could begin as early as November 5. A small group of veterans and an architectural historian sued in federal court, arguing Congress must endorse the project.
- PBS reported the administration is pursuing both projects. The article cited the Justice Department’s notice but no broader formal legal argument from the administration.
Quotes
The arch plaintiffs wrote: “The public interest leans heavily against allowing defendants to blaze ahead.”
David Super, a Georgetown University Law Center professor, said: “But there was always the assumption that you would try to do things that were legal.”
Judge Ana Reyes, responding to the government’s statement about tree cutting, said: “News flash.”
Source Read PBS NewsHour’s report here.
Image No photo for this story.
