Judge Reyes Halts East Potomac Golf Course Renovation

At least 400 trees were cut on the East Potomac Golf Course over a holiday weekend, according to the government workers cited in court documents. That number served as the trigger for U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes to issue a preliminary injunction on Monday. The order temporarily bars the Trump administration from removing or damaging any additional trees on the 106-year-old public course.

The injunction requires the administration to provide written notice 10 days before making any "irreparable modification" to the "forms or features" of the course. This rule applies for the duration of the active lawsuit. The legal challenge was filed by the D.C. Preservation League and two golfers who claim the project is inflicting irreversible damage.

Reyes, who was nominated by former President Joe Biden, expressed surprise at the government's position. She wrote that the administration asked her "not to believe the sitting President" and to disregard Trump's statements about the renovation plans. Reyes noted that the case has evolved from a dispute about golf into a conflict between presidential assertions and the sworn testimony of government employees.

"This started as a case about golf. That good walk spoiled. But it has become much more," Reyes wrote in the ruling. She stated that the court now must reconcile the claims made by President Donald J. Trump with the arguments presented by senior Department of Justice attorneys.

President Trump announced his plans on social media on Oct. 18. He stated that the course would close for 15 months starting Nov. 15 to allow for redevelopment. A day later, he posted that work would begin immediately. Reyes had previously ordered the administration to suspend work until at least Oct. 26, a deadline that passed before the new injunction was issued.

Trump responded to the ruling late Monday night upon his return to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. He arrived following a rally in Mississippi and indicated that the work would proceed as planned. "It has the go-ahead. The judge feels that she would like to approve it as it goes along," Trump said. He added that he did not know she was an "architectural critic of golf courses" and promised to appeal the decision.

The White House described the planned overhaul as a "beautiful project for Washington, D.C." Trump reiterated his timeline in a subsequent social media post, writing that the site would close on Nov. 15 for "Competitive, Safety, Modernization, and Aesthetic reasons." He capitalized the word Competitive to emphasize its importance.

Reyes rejected the administration's request for her to recuse herself from the case. The government had questioned her impartiality, accusing her of "egregious" behavior during an emergency hearing. Reyes responded by quoting from a golf-related opinion written by the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. She used the quote to stress the temporary nature of her decision, noting that the court does not end the round but simply marks the ball until the parties can fully litigate the case.

Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, called the ruling a "big win" for the plaintiffs. Her organization serves as co-counsel for the D.C. Preservation League and the two golfers. Perryman stated in an email that the move stops activities while the case continues, and that the legal team is eager to argue the case in court. The East Potomac project is part of a wider campaign to alter Washington's historic landscape, which includes plans for a White House ballroom and a new arch in West Potomac Park.