President Donald Trump announced Sunday that East Potomac Golf Links will close Nov. 15 for a full redesign. He said the new course would reopen in roughly 15 months.
Why it matters: The course is a low-cost public facility in a federal park. Plaintiffs say a high-end redesign would change its character and raise prices.
Where they split: Coverage divides over whether the announcement disregards an active court challenge or responds to a court that the administration says is hostile to it.
Center coverage, 9 sources: The center sees an announced timeline colliding with an active lawsuit, a tree-cutting halt, and a bid to remove the judge.
Left coverage, 10 sources: The left sees Trump pressing ahead with a closure while a court challenge is pending, as part of a pattern of contested Washington makeovers.
Right coverage, 8 sources: The right sees a restoration of a run-down course that brings jobs, and a legal fight with a judge it views as obstructing the president.
What’s next: U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes ordered the redevelopment halted until at least Oct. 26. She faulted the government for removing trees over a holiday weekend.
