A federal judge appointed by President Joe Biden has temporarily halted the Trump administration’s plan to “beautify” Washington, DC’s East Potomac Golf Course after officials abruptly cut down about 400 trees at the site.
District Judge Ana Reyes issued the temporary restraining order ahead of the course’s scheduled Sunday closure, which was expected to last 15 months.
President Donald Trump had said redevelopment would begin that day, despite a legal challenge filed in February by the DC Preservation League and two local golfers.
The plaintiffs contend that Trump’s proposal would alter the character of the publicly accessible course and drive up costs, claims the Republican president has rejected.
They asked the court to stop the work, arguing that closing the course and proceeding with construction would “irreparably injure plaintiffs and the public interest.”
The overhaul of the park is among several projects Trump has promoted as part of his effort to reshape the nation’s capital.
Other initiatives include a monumental arch, a ballroom at the White House and changes to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
During a five-hour hearing Friday, Reyes indicated that she was likely to block at least some elements of the planned closure.
A federal judge appointed by President Joe Biden has temporarily halted the Trump administration’s plan to “beautify” Washington, DC’s East Potomac Golf Course after officials abruptly cut down about 400 trees at the site
The overhaul of the park is among several projects Trump has promoted as part of his effort to reshape the nation’s capital
The main question was the scope of any injunction. Justice Department attorney Adam Gustafson argued that the entire East Potomac Park—including its three golf courses, miniature course, cycling lanes and other recreational facilities—was being closed for safety reasons.
He also pointed out that the lease between the government and National Links Trust, the park’s current operator, was set to expire Sunday.
Reyes noted that safety had not featured in discussions about the closure for months. She said the lease’s expiration appeared less like the cause of the shutdown than a justification for closing the course, located roughly two miles from the White House.
The judge also dismissed Gustafson’s claim that the closure was unrelated to Trump’s repeated statements that he wanted the course shut down and transformed into a world-class facility under the administration’s Washington National plan.
Before the ruling, Trump criticized Reyes in a social media post Saturday, saying she “doesn’t want us to quickly and inexpensively fix up the Course which is, also, very dangerous.”
He said Washington-area residents would receive a 50 percent discount on “any and all Rates charged” and predicted the redevelopment would “evolve into something very special, something which the Judge will be able to take great pride in seeing!”
Reyes’ decision was the latest in a series of rulings on lawsuits challenging Trump-backed projects, with several arriving just hours before construction was due to start.
In a separate case, another judge recently postponed work on the proposed arch for 14 days. That ruling came soon after a planning commission dominated by Trump appointees approved the project.
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Before the ruling, Trump criticized Reyes in a social media post Saturday, saying she “doesn’t want us to quickly and inexpensively fix up the Course which is, also, very dangerous”
District Judge Ana Reyes issued the temporary restraining order ahead of the course’s scheduled Sunday closure, which was expected to last 15 months
Reyes, who was nominated by Democratic President Joe Biden, had spent months declining to grant the plaintiffs’ requests to halt work.
The plaintiffs maintained that the administration was advancing parts of the project while their lawsuit remained unresolved.
Her reluctance changed in October, after the administration launched a major tree-cutting operation over a holiday weekend with little notice to either the judge or the plaintiffs.
Government officials and Justice Department lawyers said the tree removal was authorized under a 2019 plan that recommended cutting the trees.
The episode prompted Reyes to challenge the administration over what she described as misleading conduct concerning its intentions for the project.
The judge has repeatedly voiced frustration at being asked to rule on detailed planning matters, including the removal of trees from the 106-year-old park.
The Justice Department has asked that Reyes be removed from the case, accusing her of “egregious behavior” and raising questions about her impartiality. She has declined to recuse herself.
The restraining order was one of two matters Reyes addressed during Friday’s hearing.
Golfers play near security fencing ahead of a planned closure of the course at East Potomac Golf Links
Fencing is set up ahead of a planned closure of the golf course and park
She said last week that she intended to appoint Jessie Liu, a former US attorney for the District of Columbia, to investigate whether Interior Department and National Park Service officials, along with Justice Department attorneys, had violated ethical rules or misled the court.
Gustafson urged her to reconsider, arguing that the Justice Department should first have a chance to demonstrate that an outside investigation was unnecessary.
“It’s quite a cloud on the people it affects,” he said.
Reyes acknowledged the concern.
“To be frank with you, I don’t want to do this,” she said, but added that she had an ethical duty to investigate because “I think there is enough smoke that someone needs to consider whether there’s been fire.”
