Federal judge blocks 430-tree removal at D.C. golf course, orders 10-day notice

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes ordered the federal government to stop cutting trees at East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, D.C.

In a 70-page preliminary injunction issued Monday, Reyes prohibited the administration from removing or damaging any trees on the course while a lawsuit proceeds. The ruling also mandates that the government provide 10 days' notice before making any irreparable modifications to the facility. This decision follows a period of intense scrutiny after the government felled more than 430 trees with minimal prior warning to the court or the plaintiffs.

The dispute centers on President Donald Trump's plan to convert the publicly owned course, located beside the Potomac River, into a World Class Championship Golf Course. Trump has described the current facility as dysfunctional and aims to host high-profile professional tournaments there. The D.C. Preservation League filed the lawsuit, arguing that the administration violated the National Environmental Policy Act by failing to conduct a required environmental impact analysis before proceeding with the overhaul.

Reyes noted that she initially hesitated to intervene, referencing a Dr. Seuss character to explain her reluctance to micromanage federal tree management. She wrote that she would prefer not to resolve what she called a Lorax v. Once-Ler redux. However, she stated that she stepped in because the government acted against its own assurances. Reyes found that the tree removals were part of Trump's renovation plan, rejecting the government's claim that they were routine maintenance. She also determined that the D.C. Preservation League is likely to succeed in proving the administration violated legal environmental review requirements.

President Trump reacted quickly on Truth Social, calling the ruling unconstitutional. He stated his administration would seek an appeal and planned to close the course for construction on November 15. Trump argued that requiring advanced notice from a judge without expertise in golf or construction was unfair and inappropriate. He characterized the project as being totally as of right and said work would begin immediately. The administration previously suggested the course would reopen in 15 months.

The judge's ruling included pointed criticism of the government's litigation strategy. Reyes wrote that it is rare for the Department of Justice to ask a federal court not to believe the sitting president. She noted that the case has evolved from a golf dispute into a broader legal conflict requiring the court to reconcile presidential statements with the sworn testimony of government employees. The judge also found the Department of the Interior's deputy chief of staff not credible when he described the tree management plan as simply cleaning up the course.

Tensions between Trump and Reyes have grown, with the president recently labeling her a crazed lunatic. The administration requested that Reyes recuse herself from the case, citing open hostility and a lack of impartiality. Government attorneys argued she had shown bias by questioning the intelligence of their team and disregarding separation of powers. Reyes denied the request, stating that the government's actions, such as removing over 500 healthy trees with only 15 hours' notice during a holiday weekend, caused the current legal friction.

The government had asked the court to allow the changes to proceed without a final decision being made. Reyes argued that Trump's public statements about the renovation plans made that legal position difficult to maintain. She noted that the administration waited until late Friday evening during a holiday weekend to give notice that tree removal would begin within 15 hours. Nearly 430 trees were removed in that single day, with rain preventing the destruction of hundreds more. The Justice Department and the Department of the Interior have not yet commented on the ruling.