Judge chastises Trump administration plan to push ahead overhaul of DC golf course

In a tense hearing Monday, federal Judge Ana C. Reyes sharply rebuked Trump administration lawyers over the president's apparent intent to defy the court and proceed with a major renovation of the historic East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, D.C. — days after the judge temporarily blocked the government from moving forward.

The century-old public golf links, located on a peninsula between the Potomac River and the Washington Channel, were among the first public courses to be desegregated. Judge Reyes told attorneys the park holds "a deep amount of meaning for the people of the district, and is protected as a historic landmark."

President Trump has said he wants to turn the three existing courses into a single "championship-style golf course." But a D.C. preservation group and two individuals challenged the U.S. Department of Interior and the National Park Service in February, arguing the renovation would inflate tee-time costs for a facility originally intended to be "open to all people."

The confrontation escalated dramatically after the White House filed a motion Friday asking Reyes to recuse herself, accusing her of bias — a request the judge declined. Then, on Sunday, Trump posted on Truth Social that the renovation "does not need court approval" and that "work is scheduled to begin IMMEDIATELY!" — directly contradicting a Justice Department filing from the previous day stating that "the plan is not final."

"Do I believe the president of the United States or do I believe you?" Reyes asked the government attorneys during Monday's hearing, which ended without a decision. "I have, on the one hand, the president of the United States saying to the American public three times now, I think, in the last two days, there is a final plan to redesign the golf course. Then I have you all telling me and, you know, witnesses saying what they're saying, that there's no final plan. Which is it?"

The case has its roots in a May order requiring the administration to give notice of any substantial construction work, including the removal of more than 10 trees. Despite that order, on Friday, Oct. 9 — just before a holiday weekend — government officials notified the court it planned to remove up to 529 trees. Bulldozers began taking down hundreds of trees the next day. Reyes, who said she was "beyond disappointed" by the action, ordered a 24-hour halt.

"I do not know how I could have made it any plainer that I did not want what was to happen, to happen," the judge said. "I have given the government every single benefit of the doubt that it would not do precisely what it has done."

The National Park Service has described the work as consistent with a 2019 preservation plan, but opponents say Trump's stated ambition goes well beyond that — the 2019 plan recommends removing invasive vegetation, not healthy native species. Trump has described the course as "old, broken, dilapidated, and of no further use or effect."

Residents have expressed alarm about losing access to the historically affordable course and the surrounding recreational area, popular with cyclists, runners, fishers and picnickers. The golf course fight is one of several instances in which the president has sought to place his own stamp on Washington — he has also threatened to tear down the Kennedy Center and is seeking to build a 250-foot arch near the National Mall.

Reporting by NPR. Read the original report: Judge chastises Trump administration plan to push ahead overhaul of DC golf course.