More Than 60 Trees Cut Down at D.C. Public Golf Course as Trump Pushes Controversial Makeover

More than 60 trees have reportedly been removed from Washington, D.C.’s East Potomac Golf Links while the Trump administration pushes forward with plans for a sweeping redevelopment of the historic public golf facility.

And there’s already a federal court fight over what the administration is allowed to do there.

The Washington Post reported Friday that an informal count found more than 60 trees had apparently been removed across East Potomac in recent weeks, even though the Trump administration has yet to publicly release a final design, construction schedule or estimated price tag for its planned overhaul.

The Interior Department insists the removals aren’t part of Trump’s redevelopment at all.

According to the department, arborists are conducting routine maintenance and selectively removing hazardous, invasive, declining or dying trees.

But there’s a pretty significant problem with what happened.

During a May hearing over the future of East Potomac, U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes told administration attorneys that she wanted advance notice before the government removed more than 10 trees or brought major equipment onto the property.

That direction was given orally and was not incorporated into a formal written court order.

According to a source familiar with the litigation who spoke to the Washington Post, however, neither the plaintiffs challenging the project nor the court were notified about the recent tree removal.

Meanwhile, the administration itself maintains that the redevelopment hasn’t officially started.

In a joint court filing Friday, the Justice Department said that “no final agency action has occurred” and that multiple public-facing steps would take place before the redesign moves forward.

That creates one hell of a question:

If Trump's massive redevelopment hasn't started yet, why have more than 60 trees suddenly disappeared from the property weeks before his proposed construction date?

This Isn't Just About a Golf Course

East Potomac Park is federal public land managed by the National Park Service.

Preservationists challenging Trump's proposal argue that the redevelopment conflicts with an 1897 law establishing the park for the recreation and enjoyment of the public.

And Trump's vision could dramatically change how that public land is used.

Plans photographed while Trump toured the property in June appeared to show the golf course expanding roughly 50 acres into portions of the park currently used for picnicking, fishing, cycling and other recreation.

The existing facility includes three courses totaling 36 holes. Trump's proposal would instead create a single 18-hole championship course designed to host major tournaments.

Those photographed plans also raised alarms because several beloved public amenities appeared to be absent, including the riverside bicycle trail, miniature golf course and Washington's oldest grove of Japanese cherry trees.

Trump has said he wants to build one of the greatest golf courses in the world on the property.

But this isn't Trump's private resort.

It's a public park.

And before the administration turns public land into another monument to Trump's personal tastes, the public deserves to know exactly what is being built, how much it will cost, what will disappear to make room for it and why dozens of trees are already coming down before the government says construction has even begun.

For now, those questions remain unanswered.

And the stumps are already in the ground.