After weeks of tense hearings and late-night filings, a federal judge ordered an East Potomac Park injunction that temporarily bars the Trump administration from making further changes to the Washington, D.C., municipal golf course as a legal fight over planned renovations intensifies.
The dispute escalated after the government cut down 430 trees on short notice, prompting lengthy court sessions in which officials said the clearing was unrelated to renovations President Trump had promoted online. In court, government lawyers said there was no final plan for the project, contradicting Trump’s same-day social media posts.
“Rarely, if ever, has the United States Department of Justice urged a federal court not to believe the sitting president,” U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes wrote in a 70-page opinion.
Reyes extended an earlier two-week pause on tree removal, ordering the government not to cut, substantially prune, or otherwise damage trees at East Potomac Park without court approval. She also required at least 10 business days’ written notice before any closure or irreversible modification of the park while the case proceeds. “By issuing this preliminary injunction, the Court does not end the round,” Reyes wrote. “It simply marks the ball until the parties can fully and fairly litigate this case.”
The decision is a victory for the D.C. Preservation League and two local golfers who sued to halt renovations, as well as a growing coalition of runners, cyclists, birders and other park users seeking to preserve access. “We are grateful the court intervened,” said Skye Perryman of Democracy Forward, which represents the plaintiffs.
Trump said late Monday that the Department of the Interior will appeal. He reiterated plans to start construction on Nov. 15 and keep the park closed for 15 months, writing that the “judge has absolutely no right to hold up this very important and beautiful Project,” and criticizing requirements to provide advance notice to the court. Reyes has said she does not seek to manage landscaping, but explained she acted after “the Government did what it assured all it would not do.”
On Tuesday afternoon, Reyes placed Trump’s post into the record and gave the government about 24 hours to state whether a mid-November closure plan exists and how that squares with prior courtroom statements. She said she would set a status hearing for Friday or Monday.
The judge took aim at the government’s contradictions in the East Potomac Park injunction
Reyes’ sharply worded ruling followed a seven-hour hearing last week, where she clashed with government lawyers and refused an administration request that she recuse herself. Testimony from Interior Department and National Park Service officials about the sudden tree clearing raised broader questions about whether the administration misled the court and public regarding its intentions for the course.
Reyes contrasted Trump’s public assertions with sworn statements from federal employees. Trump posted that work would begin “immediately,” yet officials testified there was no final plan. Weighing timelines and testimony, Reyes agreed with plaintiffs that a renovation blueprint exists, referenced in court as the “Washington National Plan,” despite repeated denials. She could not pinpoint when it became final, but concluded it was in place before Oct. 15, 2026.
She rejected the government’s claim that the tree clearing implemented recommendations from a 2019 National Park Service report, calling that explanation “pretextual.” Reyes also questioned the credibility of Interior official Gregory Wischer, who was photographed with rolled-up concept plans while touring the site with Trump and golf architect Tom Fazio in June, yet testified he had only recently taken an interest in vegetation management at the course.
Addressing the administration’s argument that plaintiffs relied on a “handful of tweets,” Reyes wrote that posts by the president and the Interior secretary are official statements about matters under their authority. One post, she noted, even included a schematic of the course redesign.
What’s next for East Potomac?
Trump said Monday night he believes the renovations do not require approvals. Reyes noted that administration officials acknowledged in July that major changes would trigger environmental and historic preservation reviews. Last week, government lawyers offered an alternative stance that the work is not reviewable under the Administrative Procedure Act. Reyes dismissed the shift, writing that parties cannot reverse their position when the evidence changes.
Plaintiffs argue the administration is segmenting the project into smaller actions, such as dumping debris from the White House East Wing demolition and the recent tree removals, to avoid required environmental analysis. Reyes indicated the Interior Department likely violated the National Environmental Policy Act by improperly dividing its review of the plan’s impacts.
The ruling, and the administration’s planned appeal, could slow the timeline Trump says is necessary for seasonal construction. Uncertainties remain about the final design. A rendering Trump shared appears to combine three existing courses into one that spans the peninsula, seemingly eliminating the perimeter road widely used by runners and cyclists. Trump has said the redeveloped course could host events like the PGA Championship and Ryder Cup, and would remain open to the public with reduced rates for D.C. residents.
The golf project is among several high-profile efforts Trump is pursuing in the capital, alongside a White House ballroom, adding his name to the Kennedy Center, and promoting a triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery. For more on his other initiatives, see how Trump touts funding push to recruit nursing home nurses.
