Dirt from the White House’s East Wing demolition project appears to have been moved to a Washington, D.C. golf course that President Donald Trump could be looking to improve, new reports reveal.
The White House started demolishing the East Wing this week to make room for Trump’s long-desired $300 million ballroom. Some trucks were seen hauling dirt away from rubble of the East Wing and bringing it to East Potomac Park, located on an island in the Potomac River, The Washington Post reports.
Some of the dirt will be used to form mounds at the nearby public golf course, a source familiar with the project told the Post. USA Today also reported that trucks were seen taking debris to the East Potomac Park golf course, and pictures of the newly formed dirt piles near the golf course have circulated online.
Two months ago, Politico reported that Trump was considering an idea to rebrand and refurbish the East Potomac Golf Links. Trump first heard the idea from a staffer, and autographed a rendering of a new golden logo, which resembles those for his other clubs, the outlet reported. The course could reportedly be renamed the “Washington National Golf Course.”
The National Park Service signed a 50-year lease with National Links Trust to operate the East Potomac Park’s golf course — as well as two other public golf courses — in October 2020. Afterward, the course was renamed from the East Potomac Golf Course to the East Potomac Golf Links, local outlet WUSA 9 reports.
A construction worker walks through a makeshift dumpsite at the East Potomac Golf Course in Washington, D.C. A report from last month reveals President Donald Trump could be considering an idea to rebrand the golf course (REUTERS)
The Independent has contacted the White House and National Parks Service for comment.
Trump’s decision to tear down the East Wing of the White House to make way for his ballroom has sparked outrage online.
Hillary Clinton criticized the president’s decision, writing on X, “It’s not his house. It’s your house. And he’s destroying it.” Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren also chimed in: “This is Trump’s presidency in a single photo: Illegal, destructive, and not helping you.”
When asked about the construction Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt urged people to “trust the process” and defended the administration’s transparency on the project.
“We have informed all of you, we’ve been keeping you apprised of this project we’ve shown you the renderings and if you look at the renderings its very clear the East Wing was going to be modernized,” Leavitt said. “In fact, I said that in the briefing when we initially introduced this plan to all of you and the public.”
Trump is demolishing the East Wing to make room for a new ballroom (Reuters)
Former President Ronald Reagan’s daughter, Patti Davis, also criticized the move in an opinion essay for The New York Times on Friday.
“The images we’ve now all seen of the East Wing being demolished are heartbreaking,” Davis wrote. “Over the centuries, many presidents have altered the White House, and certainly older buildings need to be updated and repaired. But this is complete destruction.”
In response to Davis’s essay, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told The Independent the renovations will benefit future generations.
“President Trump is working 24/7 to Make America Great Again, including his historic beautification of the White House, at no taxpayer expense,” Ingle wrote in a statement. “These long-needed upgrades will benefit generations of future presidents and American visitors to the People’s House – something we should all celebrate.”
