Judge bars tree removal at East Potomac golf course as Trump vows to close it Nov. 15

A federal judge on Monday barred the Trump administration from removing or damaging trees at East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, D.C., while a lawsuit over the president's renovation plan moves through court ¹². U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes issued the 70-page preliminary injunction ruling, which also requires the government to give 10 days' notice before making "any irreparable modification" to the course ¹.

The government notified the court Tuesday that it intends to appeal ¹. In a post on Truth Social, President Trump called the ruling "unconstitutional" and said the government would move forward with closing the course on Nov. 15 ¹. He complained that having to give advance notice to a judge he said had no expertise in golf, architecture, landscaping or construction was unfair and unconstitutional ¹².

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What the judge found

The D.C. Preservation League sued over the planned changes, arguing the government violated the National Environmental Policy Act by failing to analyze the project's impacts ¹. Reyes found the group is likely to succeed on that claim, and she rejected the government's argument that the tree removals were part of an unrelated maintenance effort ¹. She also found that a top Interior Department official was not credible when he testified about the tree plan ¹².

The judge wrote that Trump's public statements about the renovation were hard to square with government lawyers' position that it was too early to challenge the plans in court. "Rarely, if ever, has the United States Department of Justice urged a federal court not to believe the sitting President," she wrote ¹².

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The ruling follows weeks of friction. The government cut down more than 430 trees earlier this month with little notice, and Reyes told lawyers at an Oct. 12 hearing that they had "lost credibility" ¹². The administration asked her to recuse herself, arguing she had shown open hostility; she refused, writing that the government had decided to remove over 500 healthy, non-invasive trees and gave notice at 4:55 p.m. on the Friday of a holiday weekend ¹.

What happens next

The government's appeal will go forward, and the case continues in the district court. Trump has said the course would close for construction beginning in November and reopen in 15 months ¹. The course sits beside the Potomac River and is publicly owned ¹.

Norm Eisen, cofounder and executive chair of Democracy Defenders Fund, who is representing the challengers, called the ruling "yet another decisive victory for the rule of law" ².

That matters because the case tests whether a president can proceed with a construction plan while a court has ordered a pause. Reyes framed her order narrowly, writing that the court "does not end the round: it simply marks the ball until the parties can fully and fairly litigate this case" ².

The Record

1. Oct 12, 2026At a hearing, Judge Reyes told government lawyers they had "lost credibility" after more than 430 trees were cut with little notice ¹².
2. Oct 18, 2026Trump announced on social media that the Interior Department had "developed a plan to build a World Class Championship Golf Course" at the site ².
3. Oct 26, 2026Judge Reyes issued a 70-page preliminary injunction barring removal or damage to trees at the course and requiring 10 days' notice before major changes ¹².
4. Oct 27, 2026The government notified the court that it intends to appeal the ruling ¹.

Sources

1. CBS News, “Judge continues to block Trump from cutting down trees at D.C. golf course” (2026-10-28). cbsnews.com/news/judge-trump-trees-dc-golf-course-lorax/
2. news.bloomberglaw.com, “Judge Deals Trump New Setback in Golf Course Overhaul Case (2)” (2026-10-27). news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/judge-deals-trump-new-setb

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