Trump's Sept 1 golf course plan hits fresh legal hurdle after DOJ says no work order exists
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump's pledge to break ground on a new Washington golf course by September 1 hit a new legal hurdle after the Justice Department told a federal court no order to begin construction has been issued.
The disclosure added a new twist to a lawsuit challenging the project. It also raised fresh questions about how Trump's public timeline aligns with the government's position in court.
Judge questions Trump's Sept 1 timeline
The dispute centers on Trump's plan to replace a century-old municipal golf course on National Park Service land with what the Interior Department has described as a "world-class" golf course, NBC News reported on Saturday, July 25.
During a recent hearing, US District Judge Ana Reyes questioned how the administration could argue there had been no final agency action when Trump had publicly announced construction would begin on Sept 1 after touring the site with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and golf course designer Tom Fazio, the report said.
"What I'm asking is, how do I know that there's not been a final agency action," Reyes said, pointing to Trump's public statements that "we're changing this entire thing" and that work "will begin by Sept 1."
Justice Department lawyer Michael Robertson responded that he was unaware of any project schedule beyond Trump's remarks. "There's no schedule in place," Robertson told the court.
Reyes declined to dismiss the lawsuit but also refused opponents' request for an injunction, saying she was uncertain she had the authority to direct the executive branch's actions, the outlet reported.
Administration says no decision has been made
The judge instructed both sides to determine whether Interior Secretary Doug Burgum had issued any order authorizing construction.
The government has since said that "no order has been given and no decisions have been made," creating a direct legal distinction from Trump's public commitment to start work on Sept 1.
The outlet reported that the White House has also not publicly released detailed plans for the proposed course or submitted them to the National Capital Planning Commission or the US Commission of Fine Arts, agencies expected to review such projects.
Neither agency has August meetings scheduled before Trump's announced construction date, it said.
Meanwhile, opponents led by the DC Preservation League continue trying to block the redevelopment through the courts, the report said.
Residents fear losing public green space
The planned redevelopment has drawn opposition from golfers, cyclists and local residents who say the existing public course serves a broader community.
Golfer Cesar Romero called the municipal course affordable and accessible. "Right now we're playing nine holes for about $28, and that, for a golf course, if you look around, is really a great price," he told the outlet.
Bicyclist Joanne Gribler said the area had become part of her daily life. "There are world championship golf courses in the area. We don't need another one right here in D.C.," she said.
Elizabeth Kiker, executive director of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, also questioned the lack of public information, saying, "We love the space and we love the land as it is. And if there is a change and you're going to make it a public space better somehow for us all, why can't we see it?"
Reyes also voiced concern about protecting the site while litigation continues, asking, "Where will I have comfort that we're not sending in bulldozers in the dark of night to chop down cherry trees?"
Separately, part of the golf course has already been altered after debris from the East Wing excavation was dumped on the property and later tested positive for toxic metals, according to the National Park Service, the report said.
