A federal judge has warned the Trump administration to proceed cautiously with plans to redevelop a historic Washington DC golf course, as it emerged that rubble from the demolished White House East Wing containing toxic metals has been dumped at the site.
District Judge Ana Reyes, presiding over an emergency hearing on Monday, likened the situation to an episode of the television comedy Parks and Recreation, but stressed there would be “serious consequences” if the administration acted improperly. The hearing followed an application for a temporary restraining order by the DC Preservation League, which opposes the transformation of the public East Potomac golf links.
Reyes allowed maintenance work to continue after the National Park Service superintendent Kevin Griess stated no major renovation was imminent, but cautioned that the government must provide reasonable notice if it planned to close the course, fell more than ten trees, or introduce construction equipment. “Given some issues around the District recently … we not act first and ask forgiveness later,” she said.
Earlier reports indicated that rubble from the White House East Wing ballroom project, demolished in October to make way for a new $400m facility, had been dumped at the East Potomac course. Soil data published by the National Park Service revealed elevated levels of lead, chromium, and other toxic metals above laboratory reporting limits, raising environmental concerns.
The dispute over the course’s future began in December when Trump terminated a 50-year lease held by the non-profit National Links Trust, alleging deterioration. The president later confirmed ambitions to create an exclusive championship course and a “national garden of American heroes”, while designer Tom Fazio visited the site under an alias in 2025. Judge Reyes noted that fundraising materials for the project indicated plans were “pretty far down the road”.
