Judge Ana Reyes has put another obstacle in the way of President Trump’s plans to restore Washington, D.C.’s East Potomac Golf Course. According to the report, Reyes, described as a Biden-appointed judge, issued a preliminary injunction blocking the removal of trees from the course site. The ruling reportedly found that President Trump’s administration likely violated federal environmental law.
The East Potomac course is described as badly run-down and in need of major upgrades. President Trump wants to turn it into a beautiful, tournament-ready public golf course, which sounds like a fairly ordinary goal for a public facility. Yet in Washington, a golf renovation can apparently become a full-scale legal drama before anyone even reaches the first tee.
The order goes well beyond simply pausing construction. Details cited in the report say it bans cutting, removing, or “substantially pruning” any tree in East Potomac Park. Even if there is an “imminent threat to public safety,” the National Park Service would reportedly have to provide 24-hour court notice and a sworn declaration. The order also requires ten business days of written notice before any part of the golf course can be closed.
That is a remarkable amount of judicial supervision for a project involving trees and a deteriorating golf course. Reyes also ordered President Trump’s team to show cause by Wednesday at 10 AM regarding the preservation of internal records tied to the “Washington National Plan.” The Department of Justice was further instructed to alert the court if there is “any ambiguity in this Order.” Requiring lawyers to report confusion about a court order is certainly one way to guarantee another round of lawyers discussing the order.
Reyes defended the decision with a literary reference, writing, “The Court earlier stated, ‘I am not the Lorax. I do not speak for the trees.’ The Court still does not speak for the trees. It speaks only for the rule of law.” She also wrote, “This started as a case about golf. That good walk spoiled. But it has become much more.”
The ruling follows an earlier decision that barred the administration from continuing work on the project until October 26. The report says the latest injunction extends that block. President Trump had already criticized the earlier ruling on Truth Social, arguing that the Interior Department had the right to improve what he called an unsafe golf course.
“The United States Department of Interior wants to take a terrible and very unsafe golf course, and make it into a great, safe, and prestigious golf course. They have an absolute right to do so. It’s as simple as that!” President Trump wrote. He also argued that the golfer who brought the lawsuit had no standing and that Interior officials could proceed with the renovation without additional approval.
The immediate fight is over whether the renovation can move forward while the legal questions remain unresolved. Supporters see a neglected public course and a practical improvement plan. Reyes’s order places tree removal, safety procedures, closure notices, and document preservation under tight court control. The report presents that as excessive micromanagement, and it is easy to understand why the dispute has grown far beyond golf. The trees remain standing, the paperwork keeps multiplying, and President Trump’s overhaul plans remain stuck in court.
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