Trump says East Potomac's overhaul will begin on 15 November, even as a federal judge demands answers on whether the government is shifting its stance.
A fight over a historic public golf course in Washington DC is heating up. Donald Trump announced on Truth Social on Sunday that "restoration work will begin" on 15 November at the East Potomac golf course, even though a federal judge has ordered his plans paused.
US district judge Ana Reyes ruled earlier this year that the federal government must give notice before any substantive construction work can go ahead at the site. Last week she went a step further and issued an order halting the removal of trees there, a move she described as "inexcusable." The case rests on environmental and historic preservation concerns.
Now the judge wants clarity. She has ordered the government to tell her by 8pm ET on Sunday whether its position has changed from what it laid out in a court filing on Friday. That deadline puts the spotlight on whether Trump's public declaration matches what the administration is telling the court.
For now, the standoff pits a presidential announcement against a standing court order, with a start date of 15 November looming. What the government tells the judge next could decide whether the bulldozers roll or the plans stay on hold.
