Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Oct 19: US President Donald Trump has announced that renovation work on the historic East Potomac Golf Links in Washington will begin on November 15, despite a federal judge's order requiring the administration to provide prior notice before proceeding with substantive construction.

Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Sunday that the golf course would reopen in about 15 months. He later added that the Interior Department, which oversees the facility, was enthusiastic about the renovation plans.

The project has become the subject of a legal dispute over environmental protection and the preservation of historic landmarks. Trump had previously indicated that the renovation would begin in September.

US District Judge Ana Reyes ruled earlier this year that the administration must notify the court before undertaking substantive construction work at the golf course. Last week, she also ordered a halt to tree removal at the site, describing the removal as "inexcusable".

Following Trump's latest announcement, Reyes directed the administration to clarify whether it still maintained its earlier position that no final government action had been taken regarding the renovation and that the president had only given preliminary consideration to the project.

In a court filing responding to the judge's order, Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward argued that redesigning the golf course would not constitute an official agency action. He compared the proposed changes to redesigning exhibits at a Smithsonian museum, arguing that activities such as trimming trees, replacing fences, expanding fairways and mowing lawns would not amount to agency action.

The DC Preservation League filed a lawsuit in February seeking to block the administration's takeover of the golf course. The organisation alleged that the project would violate environmental laws and irreparably damage a valuable part of American history.

In a court filing dated October 9, the Trump administration asked Reyes to dismiss the case, arguing that the litigation was premature because the proposed renovation remained at an early conceptual stage.

However, the following day, the government removed approximately 500 trees from the site. Officials said the work was intended to improve public safety and restore the golf course's original design, adding that it formed part of a 2019 plan that predated Trump's renovation ambitions. Reyes subsequently ordered the tree removal to stop.

The dispute has intensified as Trump pursues several projects aimed at reshaping the White House and other prominent landmarks in Washington.

On Friday, the administration filed a motion seeking Reyes' disqualification and requesting that the case be transferred to another district judge. The government alleged that her actions demonstrated "deep-seated and unequivocal antipathy toward the Trump Administration", according to court records.

The court is now examining the administration's position as the legal battle over the golf course's proposed renovation continues.