Judge bars more tree cutting at East Potomac golf course as Trump vows to start renovation

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A federal judge on Monday barred the Trump administration from cutting or damaging more trees at East Potomac Park, where the government removed 430 trees this month at a public golf course President Trump wants to redevelop.

In a 70-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes issued a preliminary injunction extending an earlier two-week halt. The government must also give at least 10 business days’ written notice before closing the park or making any irreversible changes. The lawsuit was brought by the D.C. Preservation League and two local golfers.

Government lawyers had told the court the tree removal was unrelated to any renovation and that no final plan existed. Reyes found that a plan existed well before mid-October, called the stated reason for the clearing “pretextual” and said the government likely violated the National Environmental Policy Act.

Trump said the Interior Department will appeal and called the notice requirement unconstitutional. He has said construction of a championship-level course will begin Nov. 15, with the park closed for 15 months, and that D.C. residents would be able to play at reduced rates.