A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to make sure a senior Interior Department official preserves the contents of his personal phone. The order is part of a lawsuit over President Trump's plans to remake a public golf course in Washington, D.C. 1
U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes directed the government to confirm that Gregory Wischer, the Interior Department's deputy chief of staff for policy, had taken appropriate steps to save his phone's contents. She also widened an earlier order that covered text messages. It now covers any material concerning the East Potomac Golf Course and this litigation, and she said it should be read broadly. 1
What the order does not do
The order does not require Wischer to hand over the phone to the court or to the plaintiffs. It only requires the government to make sure the contents are preserved. 1
Wischer testified at an October 19 hearing. He said he learned of Trump's announced November 15 closure date from the president's social media post, and that a new golf-course design had been sent to his personal phone. 1
From Channel GOPTrump says he alone decides who gets paidDonald Trump · 133 plays · captioned, with the source named
How the case got here
East Potomac Golf Links is a public course on federal land run by the National Park Service. The D.C. Preservation League and two local golfers, Alex Dickson and Dave Roberts, sued in February. They say the administration is breaking federal environmental and historic-preservation rules. 1
The government told the court the redevelopment was only conceptual. Then it said crews would remove up to 529 trees starting October 10. By the end of that day, crews had cut about 430 healthy, non-invasive trees, according to Reyes' October 13 opinion. 1
At an October 12 emergency hearing, Reyes said she was "thoroughly unamused right now." She also said she had "given the government every single benefit of the doubt that it would not do precisely what it has done." 2
At that hearing, a National Park Service official testified that Wischer pushed for the work to be done urgently. 2 Reyes' opinion said the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on their claim that the government skipped required environmental review. 1
The judge on the case is a crazed lunatic whose courthouse tapes will reveal, may be insane?
The Justice Department asked Reyes to step aside, accusing her of bias. She rejected the request on October 18. Trump then attacked her on Truth Social. 1
What happens next
In the same order, Reyes denied the plaintiffs' request to extend the temporary restraining order, which bars more tree cutting through Monday, October 26. She also denied, for now, their request to resume testimony. 1
The plaintiffs may renew those requests before a hearing on a permanent injunction. Reyes has not set a date for that hearing or said whether she will grant longer-term relief. 1
That matters because the public owns this land. The phone order does not show wrongdoing. It does keep records that could show who decided what, and when, from being lost while the court weighs claims that the government moved ahead after calling the plan conceptual. 1
The Record
- The D.C. Preservation League and two golfers sued Interior and the National Park Service over plans for East Potomac Golf Links 1
- Crews removed about 430 healthy, non-invasive trees from the course, according to the judge's opinion 1
- Judge Reyes granted a temporary restraining order barring more tree removal through October 26 1
- Reyes ordered the government to ensure Wischer preserved his personal phone's contents and denied an extension of the restraining order 1
Sources
- Newsweek, “Trump's Potomac Golf Course Fight: Judge Orders Phone Records Preserved” (2026-10-24). newsweek.com/trumps-potomac-golf-course-fight-judge-orders-p
- AP (via ABC News), “Federal judge orders Trump administration to halt work for a day on historic DC golf course” (2026-10-12). abcnews.com/amp/US/wireStory/federal-judge-orders-trump-admi
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