The Justice Department has confirmed that President Donald Trump's statements concerning the renovation of the East Potomac Golf Course and its planned closure are accurate. The department filed notice Wednesday night stating that the president's announcements are aligned with current plans.
According to the filing, the National Park Service is scheduled to submit a rendering by Tom Fazio for a championship-level golf course, designed to host major events like the U.S. Open, to the National Capital Planning Commission on October 30, 2026. Following this, on November 15, 2026, the National Park Service will close East Potomac Park south of Buckeye Drive, including the golf course, consistent with the president's directive.
The National Capital Planning Commission is set to review the plan at its December 3 meeting.
This development follows a period of public statements by Trump, beginning with a social media post on October 18, announcing the park's closure on November 15 for a 15-month renovation into a "world-class facility." These announcements prompted a lawsuit from the DC Preservation League and two golfers challenging the renovation plans. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes had previously issued a preliminary injunction on October 26, citing discrepancies between the president's public statements and the testimony from government officials who stated they had no knowledge of the plans.
The existing preliminary injunction prohibits the government from removing or damaging additional trees on the East Potomac Golf Course. The administration is required to provide 10 days' written notice before making any "irreparable modification" to the course's features while the lawsuit is active. Judge Reyes had planned further hearings to address why the president continued to announce plans that officials claimed ignorance of.
Wednesday's filing also indicated that the National Park Service has entered into a new lease agreement with the National Links Trust, the current operator of the East Potomac Golf Course. Under this agreement, the National Links Trust will cease operating the course by November 15 but will continue to manage two other public golf courses.
Trump's social media posts regarding the renovation had placed Justice Department lawyers in a position of having to clarify the accuracy of the president's statements. Judge Reyes had previously requested clarification on whether a plan existed to close the golf course around November 15, 2026, and ordered Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. to appear in court. The order for Woodward's appearance was later modified to include a representative from the Department of the Interior's Office of the Solicitor with experience in the case.
Trump has publicly criticized the judge's temporary injunction, calling the golf course "highly dangerous, dilapidated, and absolutely disgusting" in a recent social media post. He asserted that the judge would be held responsible for any injuries or fatalities at the course and expressed that local golfers would welcome the renovation.
The renovation project is part of a broader initiative by Trump to reshape Washington's historic landscape, which includes plans for a large ballroom at the White House, a massive arch, and the National Garden of American Heroes. These projects have also faced legal challenges from various organizations.
The golf course renovation is one of two significant projects with impending court dates this week. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan is scheduled to hold a hearing concerning a motion to halt plans for the construction of an arch in Memorial Circle, which is opposed by veterans and an architectural historian. A separate lawsuit has been filed by Arlington County, Virginia, against the construction of this arch, citing a lack of full review processes.