Washington East Potomac golf course row: judge extends block, orders 10 business days' notice before any work

A US judge extended on Monday a court order blocking President Donald Trump's plans to renovate a historic Washington golf course. US District Judge Ana Reyes barred the government from removing or damaging additional trees on the East Potomac Park course, and ordered it to give 10 business days' written advance notice before making any irreparable modification at the park, pending the outcome of the lawsuit. Reuters reported the order on October 27.

The court speaks for the rule of law

“The court still does not speak for the trees,” Reyes wrote in her order. “It speaks only for the rule of law.” Two weeks earlier, she faulted the conduct of Justice Department lawyers in the lawsuit, calling it “inexcusable” that hundreds of trees were removed from the course over a prior weekend.

Last week, Trump said his administration would begin renovation work immediately, despite the judge's order that work could not proceed without prior notice to the court. In an online post, he declared his administration had “an absolute right” to proceed, while calling the judge a “lunatic” and the lawsuit “ridiculous.” Reyes noted that the government had asked her to disregard Trump's statements: “Rarely, if ever, has the United States Department of Justice urged a federal court not to believe the sitting president.”

The lawsuit: environment and historic preservation

The DC Preservation League sued in February to halt the takeover, on the grounds that it would violate environmental laws and “irreparably destroy a priceless piece of American history.” The renovation is one of the projects Trump is pursuing to reshape landmarks in the US capital.

This site has covered earlier stages of the dispute: the halt to tree removal on October 13, the November 15 course closure reported on October 18, and the judge questioning the plan on October 20. This round reports the latest development — the extended block plus the advance-notice requirement. The government has said it will appeal the related requests.