President Donald Trump is continuing his efforts to rebrand the government in his image. He has tried to restore the U.S. Department of Defense’s name to the Department of War. He removed the board of trustees of the Kennedy Center and installed his allies and administration officials, who then tried to rename the institution the Trump-Kennedy Center. He demolished the East Wing of the White House in an attempt to build a ballroom. He redesigned the Rose Garden — twice. He has allegedly eyed four other historic U.S. government buildings for demolition or disposal. And he wants to build a triumphal arch in Washington, D.C.
Now there is more.
President Trump has his eye on the three public golf courses in Washington, D.C., which have a 50-year lease as part of a trust designed to keep them affordable, according to The Hill.
The Trump administration reportedly has sent a notice of default to the National Links Trust, a local public-private nonprofit that oversees the properties. The notice reportedly did not explain why the trust is in default or what it needed to do to remedy the situation.
“Trump’s efforts are widely seen as a first step by the president to take over the courses for potential redevelopment and put his mark on the D.C. golf scene permanently — just as he did last week by renaming the Kennedy Center after himself,” The Hill reported.
The White House has not denied the president appears interested in the golf courses.
“President Trump is a champion-level golfer with an extraordinary eye for detail and design, and his vision to renovate and beautify DC’s public golf courses will bring much needed improvements that American citizens will be able to enjoy,” a White House spokesperson said in a statement to The Hill.
Charles Allen, a member of the D.C. council described as an avid golfer, told The Hill that it concerns him “to have the Trump administration terminate the lease for, let’s be honest, made-up reasons. It seems to be about a grab of the land for the wealthy and well connected.”
Two prominent Democratic lawmakers are blasting this latest effort to remake or rebrand government properties and institutions.
“That ambition is reflective of a kingly approach to his job,” U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) told The Hill. “He thinks government property belongs to him … it reflects the same mentality as bulldozing the East Wing. I haven’t heard anyone in the District, Maryland or Virginia say what the area needs is some Trump-run golf courses.”
U. S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) told The Hill that “Trump should focus less on vanity projects and personal vendettas and spend more time lowering costs for the American people.”
