By — Gary Fields, Associated Press Gary Fields, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/2-trump-attempts-to-change-the-d-c-landscape-play-out-in-the-courts-as-midterms-near Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter 2 Trump attempts to change the D.C. landscape play out in the courts as midterms near Politics Oct 30, 2026 2:34 PM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Hearings in lawsuits against two separate administration-backed projects were unfolding in a single federal court building Friday, revealing the breadth of President Donald Trump's attempts to mold parts of the District of Columbia as he wishes — and the underlying executive authority claims that lie beneath them. The cases involved are an impending shutdown and reconfiguration of a historic public golf course and the construction of the monumental arch that, at 250 feet (75 meters), would be 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty is from its base to the top of the torch. The two projects are barely three miles or five kilometers apart. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter…
2 Trump attempts to change the D.C. landscape play out in the courts as midterms near
In short
Lawsuits challenging executive authority focus on a 15-month closure of the East Potomac Golf Links and the construction of a 250-foot monument on Memorial Circle. In the golf course proceeding, Judge Ana Reyes challenged shifting timelines and noted plans to appoint a special master to review the administration's representations. Meanwhile, Judge Tanya Chutkan is handling a separate challenge from veterans and an architectural historian demanding congressional approval for the proposed arch. Construction on the monumental arch could start as soon as November 5 unless halted by a preliminary injunction.
Key points
- Legal scrutiny is intensifying over administration representations regarding the East Pot…: Legal scrutiny is intensifying over administration representations regarding the East Potomac Golf Links closure and unauthorized tree cutting.
- The administration faces major constitutional and statutory tests regarding whether execu…: The administration faces major constitutional and statutory tests regarding whether executive power alone can authorize a massive memorial arch without congressional consent.
- Twin court hearings underscore significant ongoing conflicts between judicial oversight a…: Twin court hearings underscore significant ongoing conflicts between judicial oversight and executive attempts to alter federal lands in the nation's capital.