On Thursday, the judge presiding over a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from its effort to turn East Potomac Park into a sprawling golf course laid into White House lawyers about what she characterized as a “Schrödinger’s golf course” argument.
“In a hearing happening right now,” reports Atlantic writer Michael Scherer, “District Judge Ana C. Reyes is laying into the Trump Administration attorney for claiming no decision yet about whether to build East Potomac golf course, even though Trump has said decision has been made.”
As the judge noted, these two things cannot be true at once. “We don’t live in Schrödinger’s golf course. The cat is alive or the cat is dead, unless you believe in multiple universes. Do you believe in multiple universes?” she asked.
She was referring to the famous thought experiment in which one is asked to imagine a cat in a box that may be either alive or dead. This concept suggests that it could be both until you physically look into the box to find out. As the judge argues, however, either the administration has made a decision about the park’s construction, or it hasn’t. It cannot be both.
Critics of the plan to convert the park into a golf course say that it will ruin many of its long-cherished aspects, like its running track, birdwatching opportunities, and historic cherry grove. The plan is one of many of President Donald Trump’s DC construction projects that have raised controversy in recent months.
East Potomac Park, located on a peninsula in the Potomac River near the National Mall, has been a recreational destination for Washington, D.C. residents for over a century. The park spans approximately 328 acres and features walking trails, sports facilities, and natural green space that serves thousands of visitors annually. In recent years, the Trump Organization and the Trump administration have pursued plans to develop a luxury golf course on the site, a proposal that has generated significant controversy among environmental groups, park advocates, and D.C. residents who argue the development would destroy irreplaceable public land and wildlife habitat.
The lawsuit challenging the golf course development raises questions about the Trump administration’s compliance with federal environmental law, including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which requires agencies to conduct thorough environmental reviews before approving major projects on federal land. Environmental groups contend that the administration has failed to properly assess the project’s impact on the Potomac River ecosystem, migratory bird populations, and the park’s recreational value to the public.
The Trump Organization has a long history of developing golf courses, viewing them as profitable luxury ventures. The administration’s pursuit of the East Potomac Park project has been characterized by critics as an attempt to privatize public land for corporate gain, raising concerns about conflicts of interest given Trump’s ongoing business interests in golf properties.