In a tense hearing on Monday, federal Judge Ana C. Reyes sharply rebuked administration lawyers over President Trump's apparent intent to defy the court and proceed with a major renovation of the historic East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, D.C. Only days before, the judge had temporarily blocked the government from moving forward with the project.
During the hearing, which ended without a decision, Reyes chastised the government attorneys, who had previously told the court that renovating the links was still in its conceptual stage. So when Trump posted his detailed plans for a new golf course on Sunday, Reyes wanted to know who was responsible for misleading the court.
"Do I believe the president of the United States or do I believe you?" she asked.
During the hearing, Reyes frequently exhibited frustration and annoyance. "I have, on the one hand, the president of the United States saying to the American public three times now, I think, in the last two days, there is a final plan to redesign the golf course," she said. "Then I have you all telling me and, you know, witnesses saying what they're saying, that there's no final plan. Which is it?"
Trump has said that he wants to turn the three existing courses at the East Potomac Golf Links into a single, "championship-style golf course." But in February, a D.C. preservation group and two individuals challenged the U.S. Department of Interior and the National Park Service over the planned renovations, arguing that the renovated course would inflate tee-time costs for a facility that was originally intended to be "open to all people."
In May, the judge ordered the administration to give notice of any substantial construction work on the course, including the removal of more than 10 trees. Despite the order, late on Friday, Oct. 9 — just before a holiday weekend — government officials notified the court that it planned to remove "up to 529 trees" in phases.
Bulldozers began taking down hundreds of trees the next day. During a three-hour emergency hearing last week, Reyes called the government lawyers out for not giving enough prior notice for the tree removal. She did not believe the argument that the tree felling was part of routine maintenance, saying she was "beyond disappointed" by the action and ordered a 24-hour halt.
Judge: Every single benefit of the doubt
"I do not know how I could have made it any plainer that I did not want what was to happen, to happen," she said, adding: "I have given the government every single benefit of the doubt that it would not do precisely what it has done."
On Friday, the White House filed a motion requesting that Reyes remove herself from the case, accusing her of bias. The judge declined to step aside.
Ahead of the hearing on Monday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Reyes was a "crazed lunatic" and said that renovation work did not need court approval. "Work is scheduled to begin IMMEDIATELY!" he said. The president's post appears to contradict a response filed by Department of Justice lawyers the previous day indicating that "the plan is not final because the Park Service has not completed its review."
Trump has described the golf course as "old, broken, dilapidated, and of no further use or effect." The prospect of a complete renovation has alarmed residents who are concerned about losing access to the historically affordable course and to the surrounding recreational area, which is popular with cyclists, runners, fishers and picnickers.
A protected landmark but is it?
The century-old golf links was also one of the first public courses to be desegregated. "This is not just some putt-putt course," Reyes told the attorneys, who appeared in court on Monday. The park holds "a deep amount of meaning for the people of the district, and is protected as a historic landmark."
The White House has said that it is simply carrying out a 2019 preservation plan, but plaintiffs seeking to block the changes have said that Trump's stated desire to redevelop the course goes well beyond that. Among other things, the 2019 plan recommends removing invasive vegetation that doesn't contribute to the historic landscape, but not healthy, native species.
The golf course is one of several instances in which the president has sought to circumvent the courts in order to exert his power and to place his own stamp on Washington, D.C. He has also threatened to tear down the Kennedy Center and is seeking to build a 250-foot arch near the National Mall.
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