Judge Ana Reyes halts D.C. golf course tree removal

430 trees were cut down at East Potomac Park with less than one day's notice. That action triggered a legal battle that ended with a federal judge temporarily blocking the Trump administration from making further changes to the municipal golf course.

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes issued the preliminary injunction on Monday. Her 70-page opinion orders the government to stop cutting, pruning, or damaging any trees at the park without a specific court order. The ruling also requires the administration to provide at least ten business days' written notice before closing the park or making irreversible modifications. Reyes extended a previous two-week halt to tree removal, effectively freezing major work until the litigation is resolved.

The case is being brought by the D.C. Preservation League and two local golfers. Skye Perryman, president of the nonprofit Democracy Forward, which represents the plaintiffs, said the group is grateful for the court's intervention. She described the administration's actions as driven by greed and lawlessness. The ruling protects the course for runners, cyclists, birders, and other users of the recreational area.

President Trump rejected the decision in a late Monday post on Truth Social. He stated that the Department of the Interior will appeal the ruling. Trump maintained that construction will begin on November 15 and that the park will remain closed for 15 months. He criticized the judge for lacking expertise in golf, architecture, and construction, arguing that requiring advanced notice was not fair or constitutional.

Reyes' opinion focused on contradictions between the president's public statements and the sworn testimony of government officials. During a seven-hour hearing last week, administration lawyers claimed there was no final renovation plan. This contradicted a social media post from Trump earlier that same morning, which said work would begin immediately. Reyes concluded that a renovation plan, referred to by plaintiffs as the Washington National Plan, existed before October 15, 2026. She called the government's explanation for the sudden tree clearing pretextual.

The judge specifically questioned the credibility of Gregory Wischer, a deputy chief of staff at the Interior Department. Wischer was photographed carrying concept plans during a June tour of the course with Trump and architect Tom Fazio. Reyes noted that Wischer claimed he only spontaneously became interested in vegetation management in mid-September. The court found that the administration had not provided a compelling factual rebuttal to the existence of the plan.

Reyes also addressed the legal basis for the project. Administration lawyers recently argued that the renovations could not be reviewed under the Administrative Procedure Act, a shift from their July position that federal environmental and historic preservation reviews were required. Reyes rejected this new argument, noting that parties cannot change their legal course whenever the evidence suits them. She found that the Interior Department likely violated the National Environmental Protection Act by impermissibly segmenting the project to avoid full environmental reviews.

The proposed redesign combines the park's three existing courses into a single championship-level venue. The rendering shared by Trump shows the new course overtaking the entire peninsula and removing the perimeter road used by residents. Trump said the redeveloped course will host events like the PGA Championship and Ryder Cup while remaining open to the public at a reduced rate for D.C. residents.