Trump Pushes $49 Million Golf Course for Elites in Washington, D.C.
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A National Park Service document reveals that converting East Potomac Park's public golf course into an exclusive 18-hole championship venue could cost up to $49 million, while the Interior Department has already funneled $400,000 into design contracts.
The National Park Service is moving forward with plans to solicit bids in January 2027 to transform the municipal golf course at East Potomac Park—currently accessible to the public—into an 18-hole professional facility catering to the wealthy, with costs projected between $20 million and $49 million. This controversial proposal, first pushed by President Donald Trump in May, has already resulted in a $398,000 contract awarded to Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. for e-design services, a detail exposed by Rep. Jared Huffman during a House committee hearing.
"The full course design is yet to be finalized, so any type of cost estimate speculation over an advance notice of solicitation is premature and irresponsible, especially from a Member of Congress," an Interior Department spokesperson told CNN, dismissing legitimate concerns about public spending. Trump, undeterred by public outrage and ongoing legal challenges, insists he will break ground on the project this month, despite lawsuits seeking to halt the privatization of public land and other contested projects in the capital. Democratic lawmakers have demanded that Interior Secretary Doug Burgum provide further documentation on the plan by the end of September, as communities fight to preserve public spaces from being handed over to the wealthy few.