Opponents Accuse Trump Administration Government of Advancing East Potomac Golf Course Overhaul Before Official Approval in New Legal Battle

Donald Trump's administration is facing a fresh lawsuit as drama over East Potomac Golf Course continues.

The rebuilding of the historic golf course is integral to the president’s plans to overhaul Washington, D.C. However, official approval of the project is still pending.

D.C. Preservation League and two golfers, however, have filed a petition in federal court, alleging that the government has already started proceeding with the reconstruction of the golf course.

Radar Online obtained the court documents filed on September 3, which reportedly state that work on the course has “significantly accelerated” in the last few days.

They also claimed that the renewed construction work on the golf course included cutting down more than 60 trees, including a cherry tree near the Blue Course’s 14th hole.

They further claimed that authorities were spotted staging heavy equipment like an excavator and Bobcats, as well as survey work along the public golf course.

The new filing came in the wake of the preservation committee already being engaged in a legal battle with the Department of Interior and National Park Service over structural plans for the East Potomac Golf Course.

Government lawyers pushed back against the claims, stating that the work being done was merely “routine” maintenance. They also insisted that the felling of the trees on the property and other work being done might be unrelated to Trump’s redesign plans, as no decision has been reached.

One of the golfers who sued the Trump administration, Dave Roberts, gave a sworn declaration to the court stating that he saw a worker cut down a cherry tree near the 14th hole of the course while another person in a National Park Service uniform stood nearby, seemingly supervising.

Roberts further stated that he returned to the course later and saw numerous fresh stumps scattered throughout the area. Many of them didn't appear to be hollow or rotten, according to him.

Kalli Krumpos, another witness, stated that she saw authorities hauling large trucks, a backhoe and a small bulldozer on the field on September 2.

She also claimed that one of the workers told her that the project is expected to last “about three weeks” and that they were “almost done with one side.”

The DOJ reportedly argued earlier this week that two recent Supreme Court rulings indicate that the lawsuit could be dismissed.

Government lawyers also stated that “offense, disagreement and distaste” aren't substantial enough grounds for involving the federal court on the subject of the golf course’s rebuilding.

The plaintiffs responded on Thursday that the government's plans rebuilding plans could cause more harm than initially thought.

They alleged that the authorities have started dumping “toxic debris” on the ground.

They also claimed that revamping East Potomac Golf Course into a professional league-style course would disrupt the public access for recreational purposes, as they have for a long time.

They also accused the administration of having already “adopted and begun implementing a plan to destroy East Potomac Golf Course.”