A US judge recently refused to block Donald Trump’s plans for contentious renovations to a golf course in Washington, DC, making a comparison to a famous fictional bureaucrat.
“I don’t want to be the overseer … I’m no Amy Poehler,” District Judge Ana Reyes said, referring to the actress who played middle manager Leslie Knope on the hit sitcom Parks and Recreation.
But it is the President who appears on a mission to transform the local environment through a slew of building projects in and around the capital, recalling his pre-politics career as a New York City real estate developer.
Many of the planned developments have stirred local opposition, with critics noting a pattern of them featuring Trump’s name or likeness, fuelling allegations that they are vanity projects.
Washington Arch ‘like Paris, but better’
In a hearing on Thursday, the National Capital Planning Commission requested more information on how a triumphal arch Trump wants to build at the entrance to the capital could affect air travel and traffic in the area.
Trump says the Washington arch is inspired by the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, with a golden winged Lady Liberty on the top, flanked by two gold eagles, and with the phrases “One Nation Under God” and “Liberty and Justice for All” inscribed in gold on either side.
In December, Trump said the new arch “will be like the one in Paris, but to be honest with you, it blows it away in every way”.He added: “The only thing they have is history … I always say [it’s] the one thing you can’t compete with, but eventually we’ll have that history too.”
Ahead of Thursday’s meeting, the Commission received around 1,700 public comments on the issue. Most of them opposed the President’s vision.
Comments included “waste of taxpayer money”, “vanity project”, and “disgusting and disrespectful move by a man who wants to be king.”
The Comission voted to advance the project but stopped short of a final approval pending action to address the concerns raised.
Trump said this week that the Arch would serve as a tribute to US military victories. “Nobody’s had more military victories, including recently, than we have,” he said.
The proposed design of an arch that Trump plans for the US capital (Photo: Donald Trump/Instagram)Golf course restoration turns toxic
The East Potomac Golf Links are currently home to a public golf course. The President wants to transform it into a course capable of hosting major events such as the US Open and Ryder Cup.
Trump’s courses in Scotland have been repeatedly rejected as hosts for The Open Championship.
Signs were posted around the site last month warning of disruption. Preservation advocates took the government to court after debris dumped on the course during the demolition of the White House East Wing – to clear space for a ballroom – tested positive for lead.
The National Park Service that operates the course has struck a deal with the White House for what it described as a “historic restoration”.
This is not the first time Trump has stirred controversy about golf courses. His courses in Scotland have faced opposition for their environmental impact. Trump venues have hosted tournaments of the ill-fated LIV Golf series at his courses in New Jersey and Virginia.
Trump is looking to take over a golf course in Washington. (Photo: Getty)Kennedy Center renamed, then denamed
The John F. Kennedy Center’s general counsel has ordered staff to reverse the name change made by Trump to the iconic building last year, to comply with a court ruling.
“You must immediately change email signatures, letterhead, and other documents to reflect the name as ‘The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,’ or ‘Kennedy Center’,” a memo sent on Thursday read.
Other changes such as signage, brochures, and websites “must be completed” by 12 June.
In December, Trump added his name to the facade of the white marble building, which serves as a hub for cultural events and is tribute to President John F. Kennedy.
On 29 May, a federal judge in Washington ruled the centre cannot be renamed without an act of Congress.
District Judge Christopher Cooper directed the Trump administration to take down all physical signage bearing Trump’s name and to eliminate any references to a “Trump Kennedy Center” from official materials within 14 days.
It is unclear when the president’s name will be physically removed from the building.
The Kennedy Center in Washington, after Trump had put his name to it. (Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)Turning the Lincoln Memorial around
Trump’s vision for a revamped Lincoln Memorial appears to be gathering pace, despite facing a legal challenge.
The President said this week the reimagined site would feature a promenade bearing his name. “We’re going to be doing that, it’s a promenade. They want to call it the Trump promenade,” he said, without saying who had requested that name.
Trump explained the need for the change by claiming this would correct an error from the site’s construction during the 1920s.
“At the Lincoln Memorial, the front was supposed to be the back, and the back was supposed to be the front. [The promenade] never got built, because they built two roadways behind it,” he claimed without evidence.
Workers began refilling the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Thursday following Trump’s request for the basin to be repainted a shade he called “American flag blue”.
“That’s clean, beautiful water,” he said.
But the renovation is facing a challenge from conservationist group, The Cultural Landscape Foundation, which argues the “historic character” of the site is being “fundamentally altered”.
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool fills with water. (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)Balls and brawls
Trump has sought to reimagine the White House itself, most notably through the construction of a permanent ballroom on the grounds.
But the $400m (£294m) ballroom has become a source of controversy as Trump knocked down the historic East Wing of the White House to construct it.
After the recent shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner, Trump claimed that it wouldn’t have happened if his ballroom had already been constructed.
“What happened last night is exactly the reason that our great Military, Secret Service, Law Enforcement and, for different reasons, every President for the last 150 years, have been DEMANDING that a large, safe, and secure Ballroom be built ON THE GROUNDS OF THE WHITE HOUSE,” he posted on social media.
A series of legal roadblocks means that Trump’s ballroom project continues to be halted. (Photo: Salwan Georges/Getty)Later this month, the White House will host an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event.
Construction of the octagon-shaped caged arena, which will host the event on 14 June – his 80th birthday – has already begun, and Trump recently mused about leaving the arena on the front lawn permanently.
“We’re building something in front of the White House that’s quite attractive to a lot of people,” said Trump in a TikTok video on Tuesday. “It’s gonna have the big UFC fight … maybe we’ll never ever take it down.”
Trump has confirmed that the fighters will take their walk to the octagon from the Oval Office. “We’re having a big fight. It’s never going to happen again, never happened before,” he said.
Equipment being placed on the South Lawn of the White House ahead of the UFC fight on 14 June. (Photo: Mark Schiefelbein/AP)Trump’s name was also put on the building of the US Department of Peace, an organisation that was involved in court action with the administration after Trump fired the institute’s board last year.
“The United States Institute of Peace was once a bloated, useless entity that blew $50m per year while delivering no peace,” said White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly at the time of Trump’s takeover in December.
“Now, the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, which is both beautifully and aptly named after a president who ended eight wars in less than a year, will stand as a powerful reminder of what strong leadership can accomplish for global stability. Congratulations, world!”
Andrew Moran, professor of politics and international relations at the London Metropolitan University, said of the projects: “It’s all about his legacy. [Trump] wants to leave his mark on Washington, DC so that people will know that [he] was president long after he is gone.”
Moran added the President appeared to enjoy drawing outrage form his critics. “I think many of these projects are a way of Trump needling his opponents and the elite, who he views as snobbish towards him,” he said.
With agencies
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