Judge Blocks Trump Golf Course Overhaul at East Potomac Park
Judge Ana C. Reyes barred the Department of the Interior from making major alterations to East Potomac Park to prevent the construction of a championship golf course.
Federal Judge Ana C. Reyes issued a temporary injunction barring the United States Department of the Interior from making major alterations to East Potomac Park in Washington, D.C. The ruling prevents the Trump administration from cutting trees or modifying the park's landforms, vegetation, and structures.
The court found that the government attempted to advance President Donald Trump's vision for a championship-level golf course while misrepresenting the project in court as routine maintenance. This legal action follows an October incident where crews felled 400 trees on a Saturday morning, immediately after the United States Department of Justice filed a late Friday update.
Judge Reyes highlighted the contradiction of the Justice Department urging the court to disregard the sitting president's public claims about the project. The government is now required to notify the court 10 days before implementing any course closures or irreversible modifications. Democracy Forward, representing residents and a preservation society, characterized the ruling as a win to protect the park from irreparable harm.
