Dump trucks have transported soil and debris from the President Donald Trump’s White House’s East Wing demolition to East Potomac Park, a public recreation area in Washington, D.C. This has sparked backlash from park users and a new lawsuit claiming the federal government is breaking environmental law.
The Associated Press reported that two D.C. golfers have sued the federal government this month in an effort to stop the Trump administration’s planned changes to East Potomac Park and its historic municipal golf course. The complaint states that the National Park Service started dumping debris from the East Wing demolition onto the golf course in October. It argues that the government did not evaluate the potential environmental impacts.
The lawsuit targets the Department of the Interior and claims the redevelopment plan violates the 1897 congressional act that established the park for “recreation and the pleasure of the people,” the AP reported. Plaintiff Dave Roberts said the site “deserves better than becoming a dumping ground for waste,” according to the AP.
The dumping coincides with President Donald Trump’s initiative to transform the public golf property. The Daily Beast reported that the administration ended the National Links Trust’s lease for the course and directed debris from the East Wing teardown to the park, which includes East Potomac Golf Links. The outlet cited a National Park Service memo mentioned by The New York Times, estimating that the project would transfer about 30,000 cubic yards of soil, or about 2,000 truckloads, to the park.
Residents who use the course expressed concern that the changes will make it too expensive for regular players. The Daily Beast reported that golfers currently pay about $42 for 18 holes. The same report quoted golfer Bryan King saying, “It’ll be a real loss for a lot of people in the city,” and “I’m not happy about it.”
A White House spokesperson defended the plan as a spokesperson Taylor Rogers described the golf course as “decrepit” and said Trump’s redevelopment would restore “glamour and prestige,” while also stating the administration aims to improve public lands.
Reporting in late 2025 also highlighted the movements of debris. Golf.com reported that dirt and rubble from a Trump-commissioned East Wing renovation had been “arriving by the truckload” at East Potomac Park, with the Washington Post first covering the activity, which Golf.com confirmed. Golf.com noted it was unclear why the White House was sending debris to the park and that the nonprofit operator directed questions to the Interior Department.
The Atlantic described a similar situation in October 2025, stating that trucks entered the course every few minutes and unloaded soil in a designated area. The article mentioned that workers on site confirmed the material came from the White House demolition.
Months after the demolition of the East Wing, Trump has continued his plans to build a ballroom at the White House. On 20 February, advisory body the Council on Fine Arts (CFA) approved the project on aesthetic grounds, with new renderings of the project showing the 90,000-square-foot ballroom much bigger than the Executive Residence and the West Wing.
Announced last summer, the ballroom project has undergone numerous changes over the past six months, including the rapid demolition of the East Wing and the dismissal of the original architect, James McCrery. According to reports, McCrery clashed with the president, leading Trump to select DC-based Shalom Baranes Associates for the project.
