Muriel Bowser says Trump’s D.C. improvements should not come at the expense of residents

The mayor said redevelopment of East Potomac Park should accommodate runners, cyclists and other residents who already use the public space.

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser is offering a mixed assessment of President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape public spaces in the nation’s capital, praising some restoration work while warning that a proposed golf course could come at the expense of residents’ access to a popular recreation area.

Bowser said she welcomed the restoration of the city’s fountains and improvements to national park spaces. But the mayor made clear that her support for those projects does not extend without qualification to Trump’s plans for East Potomac Park, where proposed changes have drawn objections from residents who use the area for running, cycling and other outdoor activities.

Speaking at a news conference Monday, Nov. 2, Bowser disclosed that she had recently raised concerns directly with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. Her criticism centered on concept drawings for the golf course, which she described as “troublesome” because they did not include a roadway that could maintain recreational access.

“Do we want a world-class golf course? Yes. But we think that it can and should accommodate other uses,” Bowser said.

Her remarks, reported by The Washington Post, highlight a disagreement over how public land should be used as the Trump administration pursues its plans for Washington’s parks and landmarks. The mayor did not reject the idea of improving the golf course. Instead, she argued that a major redevelopment should account for the people who already rely on the park.

The proposed project has become a source of tension among neighborhood residents and other park users. People who run, cycle and spend time at East Potomac Park have protested the possibility that the redevelopment could restrict access to recreational spaces they consider part of the city’s public life.

Bowser’s comments came as Trump prepared to promote his administration’s beautification work at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The president has made improvements to prominent sites in Washington part of a broader effort to change the appearance of the capital.

The mayor also addressed a separate legal dispute involving the administration’s plans for the city. Asked about Washington’s lawsuit seeking to block Trump’s proposed triumphal arch, Bowser directed questions to the D.C. attorney general rather than offering a detailed assessment herself.

The lawsuit, filed by the city and Virginia, adds another point of conflict over the administration’s plans for federal projects in the capital.

Bowser’s comments on East Potomac Park, however, focused on a more immediate question for residents, whether improvements to a public space will leave room for the activities and access that make it valuable to the community.