President Donald Trump took a parting shot at the East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, calling the public course “Trash Island” and saying it was the worst in the world, in a post on Truth Social. The criticism came one day before the course closed for a major overhaul, a move that has become entangled in a legal fight over the project.
The course sits on federal land in East Potomac Park, near the National Mall, and has served public golf players in the capital for more than a century. The planned work was announced in May by the National Links Trust, which described it as a “historic restoration.” Golf course designer Tom Fazio has been selected to redesign the layout, and the project has been pursued in close coordination with the Department of the Interior, which Trump said would be responsible for fixing the course.
In his post, Trump argued that the existing course was in such poor condition that it needed immediate attention. He also said the renovated facility could one day host some of the sport’s most prestigious events, naming the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship, the Ryder Cup and the Presidents Cup as possibilities. He further said that residents of the Washington area would be offered half-off play once the course reopens, a pricing promise that would apply to local players who have long relied on the site as an affordable option.
The redevelopment has drawn scrutiny, particularly over the removal of trees at the site. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes temporarily halted additional tree cutting while the legal challenge proceeds, a decision that places a pause on part of the physical work even as the closure moves forward. The tree removal has been the main point of concern raised by critics of the project, who have questioned how the trees were handled and what the redevelopment would mean for the park’s landscape.
Reyes is also considering whether to open a formal inquiry into the ethics conduct of administration attorneys involved in the case. The possibility of such an inquiry adds a separate dimension to the dispute, raising questions about how the government has handled the litigation itself rather than only the course plans.
Trump has pushed back against the judge directly, accusing Reyes of blocking quick and inexpensive fixes to the course and claiming she opposes them. Those fixes, as described by Trump, would have addressed conditions more rapidly than a full overhaul. The court has not resolved the underlying dispute, and the outcome and timeline of the overhaul remain uncertain as the litigation continues.