President Donald Trump made stops Sunday at several construction and renovation projects near the nation’s capital, later claiming that his planned overhaul of the East Potomac Golf Links would transform it into a venue fit for championship play.
“When completed, this Course will have the ability to host Major Golf Tournaments, including The U.S. Open, The Ryder Cup, The PGA Championship, and other top PGA Tour events,” Trump wrote in a social media post following his visit.
The president walked the course alongside Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, several aides, golf course architect Tom Fazio, and Fazio’s son Gavin. The renovation project is currently the subject of an ongoing lawsuit in U.S. District Court.
While Trump used his post to criticize the condition of the grass and the course’s sprinkler system, the public golf course has also become a dumping ground for debris from the demolition of the White House East Wing. The National Park Service reported last month that testing of that debris revealed the presence of lead, chromium, and other hazardous metals.
Trump stated in his post that construction work on the golf course is set to begin September 1st. In addition to the golf course, the president also checked on improvements underway at Lafayette Park, located on the north side of the White House, and had his motorcade travel the route where he intends to construct a triumphal arch.
In a separate social media post, Trump announced he would be sitting down with Janeese Lewis George, who recently won the Democratic primary for Washington’s mayoral race. Trump referred to Lewis George as a “Communist” in his post.
Lewis George addressed the situation at a news conference on Thursday, saying that as the city’s likely next mayor, she would “work with anyone including the president for the best interest of D.C. residents.” However, she made clear she would not agree “in advance” to any administration demands that might undermine the authority of the locally elected government.
