WASHINGTON – A federal judge on Saturday temporarily halted all work at a historic public golf course in Washington, blocking President Donald Trump’s effort, for now, to transform the Potomac River site near the White House into a championship-caliber facility.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes issued the temporary restraining order one day before East Potomac Golf Links was scheduled to close for 15 months. Trump had said construction would start Sunday, despite a legal challenge filed in February by the DC Preservation League and two local golfers.
The plaintiffs contend the proposal would fundamentally alter the character of the public course and put it beyond the reach of many players, claims the Republican president has rejected. In seeking the injunction, they argued that closing the course and beginning construction would “irreparably injure plaintiffs and the public interest.”
The redevelopment is one of several major projects Trump has promoted as part of an effort to reshape the nation’s capital. Other initiatives include a grand memorial arch, a ballroom at the White House and changes to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
During a five-hour hearing Friday, Reyes indicated that she was likely to pause at least some activity connected to the park’s closure. The question was how broad the order would be. Justice Department attorney Adam Gustafson argued that safety concerns required the closure of the entire East Potomac Park, which includes three golf courses, a miniature course, bike paths and other recreational facilities. He also pointed out that the lease held by the current operator, National Links Trust, expires Sunday.
Reyes noted that safety had not been central to the closure debate for months. She said the lease’s expiration appeared more like a justification for shutting the course than the underlying reason for closing the facility, located roughly 2 miles from the White House.
The judge also dismissed Gustafson’s claim that the closure was unrelated to Trump’s repeated calls to shut down and renovate the course as a world-class venue. Trump had repeatedly pushed for the park to close by the deadline as part of his broader Washington National plan.
Before Reyes issued her order, Trump criticized her in a social media post Saturday, saying she “doesn’t want us to quickly and inexpensively fix up the Course which is, also, very dangerous.” He said Washington-area residents would receive a 50% discount on “any and all Rates charged” and predicted the project would “evolve into something very special, something which the Judge will be able to take great pride in seeing!”
Reyes’ decision marked the latest in a string of rulings involving lawsuits against Trump-backed projects, with orders arriving just hours before planned construction. Another judge recently delayed work on the proposed arch for 14 days, shortly after a key planning commission dominated by Trump appointees approved the project.
Reyes, who was nominated by Democratic President Joe Biden, had resisted for months issuing the work stoppages sought by the plaintiffs. They argued that the administration was proceeding with project-related activity while the lawsuit remained unresolved.
Her reluctance changed in October, partly after administration officials cut down trees over a holiday weekend with little notice to either the judge or the plaintiffs.
Government officials and attorneys said the tree removal followed recommendations in a 2019 plan. Reyes responded by challenging what she characterized as the administration’s misleading conduct regarding its intentions for the project.
Reyes has repeatedly voiced frustration over the detailed planning disputes she has been asked to resolve, including the removal of trees at the 106-year-old park. The Justice Department sought to have her removed from the case, accusing her of “egregious behavior” and raising questions about her impartiality. Reyes has declined to recuse herself.
The restraining order was one of two matters Reyes addressed during Friday’s hearing.
Last week, she said she intended to appoint Jessie Liu, a former U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, to investigate whether Interior Department and National Park Service officials, along with Justice Department attorneys, had violated ethics rules or misled the court during the case. Gustafson asked Reyes to reconsider and allow the Justice Department to demonstrate why an outside investigation was unnecessary.
“It’s quite a cloud on the people it affects,” he said.
Reyes said she understood the concern.
“To be frank with you I don’t want to do this,” she said. But she added that she had an ethical duty to examine the matter because “I think there is enough smoke that someone needs to consider whether there’s been fire.”
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