Judge Orders Pause on Washington Golf Course Renovation; President Trump Says Work Will Proceed as Scheduled

A federal judge has temporarily barred President Trump's administration from renovating the East Potomac Park golf course in Washington, mainly because the government's statements after cutting down a large number of trees conflict with President Trump's public announcements.

President Trump later said on social media that work will still begin next month and that he will appeal the ruling.

Legal conflict: Federal Judge Ana Reyes issued a preliminary injunction barring the government from making "irreversible changes" to the park without a court order.

Origin of the case: The government cut down 430 trees on the course with less than a day's notice, prompting environmental groups and golfers to sue.

Government's position: Government officials insisted in court that the tree cutting was unrelated to the renovation and that there was no final plan, contradicting President Trump's announcement on social media.

Trump's response: President Trump said the judge has no authority to stop the project and reiterated that work will begin on November 15 and the park will close for 15 months.

Court follow-up: The judge has entered President Trump's post into the record and ordered the government to clarify its plans within 24 hours, with a hearing expected.

Judge Questions Contradictory Government Statements, Orders Work Paused In her 70-page opinion, U.S.

District Judge Reyes noted that it is extremely rare for the Justice Department to urge a court not to believe the sitting president, but "that is the situation we face now." The ruling extends the initial order halting tree cutting and requires the government to provide at least ten business days' written notice before any major changes to the park.

The legal battle was triggered by the government's sudden felling of 430 trees.

Government officials repeatedly insisted in court that the move was unrelated to the renovation promoted by President Trump, but Judge Reyes found the government's explanation to be a "pretext." She noted that President Trump's social media posts, including renderings of the redesigned course, clearly showed that renovation plans already existed.

Trump Says Judge Has No Authority to Intervene, Vows Appeal In response to the court's ruling, President Trump said on Truth Social that the Interior Department will appeal.

He reiterated that work will begin on November 15 and added that "the judge has absolutely no right to stop this very important and beautiful project." He wrote: "Having to give advance notice to a judge who knows nothing about golf, construction, landscaping, or any related expertise is unfair, inappropriate, and unconstitutional." Skye Perryman, president of the nonprofit Democracy Forward, which represents the plaintiffs, said she was grateful the court intervened to stop the government's "greed and lawbreaking." Legal and Environmental Disputes Over the Renovation Plan In her opinion, Judge Reyes noted that government officials acknowledged in July that a major renovation would require federal environmental and historic preservation review.

However, government lawyers later offered an alternative argument that the renovation was not subject to review under the Administrative Procedure Act.

The judge rejected this new argument and said the Interior Department may have violated the National Environmental Policy Act by improperly segmenting review of the project's environmental effects.

The plaintiffs argue that the government deliberately split the large renovation into smaller projects, such as dumping waste or cutting trees, to evade federally required environmental review.

Many questions remain about the specific plans for the renovated course, its impact on surrounding recreation areas, and whether it will remain historically affordable.

President Trump said the rebuilt course will be able to host major events such as the PGA Championship while also offering discounted rates for Washington residents.

Source: NPR.

Cover image source: Golfers walk past a log section created by tree cutting on the course at East Potomac Golf Course in Washington on Wednesday, October 21, 2026.

AP