Judge Ana Reyes Blocks Trump Golf Course Redevelopment

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes presided over a hearing Monday regarding the Trump administration's effort to redevelop a 106-year-old historic golf course in Washington, D.C. The project remains blocked by a court order issued by Reyes last week, who criticized the government for removing large numbers of trees over a holiday weekend with minimal notice.

Despite the injunction, President Donald Trump announced on social media that the course would close for 15 months starting November 15, later claiming work would begin immediately. The D.C. Preservation League and two golfers are suing to stop the project, arguing it violates the congressional act that created the park and causes irreversible damage.

Legal tensions escalated when Reyes rejected a Justice Department request for her recusal, which the department based on her behavior. Trump responded by calling Reyes a "crazed lunatic" on social media. During the hearing, Reyes questioned the truthfulness of government filings claiming no final redevelopment plans exist, while officials testified they only recently discovered a 2019 report that prompted the tree cutting.