Governor of Maryland Wes Moore speaks at the Center for American Progress Ideas Conference at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 19, 2026. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon
President Donald Trump lashed out at Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Friday, claiming the Democrat had halted a renovation of golf courses at Joint Base Andrews and framing the move as an attack on the U.S. military.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said Moore "has put a halt to all work" on a project to convert the base's two ageing courses into "World Class, Jack Nicklaus Designed Courses," plus nine additional holes he said would be adapted for wounded veterans.
"By doing this, the Governor is attacking the United States Air Force, and our Military, not a smart thing to do," Trump wrote. He demanded to know why "Wounded Warriors" should "be forced to travel long distances to play Golf somewhere else or, worse yet, not play Golf at all," adding: "Our Soldiers and Veterans deserve THE BEST — NO WAITING, NO GAMES!"
Notably, Trump referenced what he called "a long Legal Review process" standing in the way — a detail suggesting the holdup may be procedural. He did not elaborate.
Trump first announced the Nicklaus project in November after an aerial tour of the base, calling the existing courses "in very bad shape." Questions about who would pay for design work on military property have gone unanswered since, even as the White House touted Trump's "champion-level" golf credentials.
The clash adds to a string of legal headaches dogging Trump's construction ambitions.
His $400 million White House ballroom has been repeatedly blocked in court, with a federal judge barring above-ground work absent congressional authorization. The friction also lands as Trump faces broader scrutiny from the legal world — a recent survey found 94% of judges and lawyers believe his second administration poses a greater threat to the rule of law than his first.