Judge Bars Trump Admin From Further Tree-felling, Closures, At Golf Course

A federal judge Monday night temporarily blocked the Trump administration from cutting down additional trees or closing down a public golf course that the president intends to upgrade to a championship-level course.

Judge Ana Reyes, in a lengthy, cutting opinion, found that the president’s public statements were at odds with the administration's assertions in court that the felling of more than 400 trees earlier this month was routine maintenance and not preparation for the president’s grand vision for East Potomac Golf Links.

“Rarely, if ever, has the United States Department of Justice urged a federal court not to believe the sitting President,” she wrote. “And yet, here we are.”

What happened: A preservation group and two local residents asked the court to bar further tree cutting after the Interior Department earlier this month cut down more than 400 trees on short notice.

Reyes earlier this month castigated the administration for the tree felling and was skeptical of the government's argument in court that it was part of a long-standing plan to clean up the historic golf course.

After a blistering hearing, the administration requested that the judge — a Biden-administration appointee — recuse herself from the case, alleging bias. She denied that request.

Trump has weighed in several times on the court case, including announcing on social media that the golf course would be closed November 15 for a 15-month renovation to upgrade the course.

Why it matters: The 106-year-old golf course, owned by the National Park Service, is one part of Trump’s broader effort to leave an architectural imprint on the nation’s capital, alongside the new White House ballroom and a proposed triumphal arch.

But those efforts have been slowed by bitter lawsuits exploring the limits of presidential powers.

Background:The East Potomac golf course is the most prominent of three public courses owned by the National Park Service in Washington. Trump commandeered them last year after accusing the nonprofit National Links Trust of not paying its lease, though NPS had allowed the nonprofit to offset rent by investing in renovations to the golf courses.

What’s next:  Reyes on Monday said the government must give the court 10-day notice before closing the course or making “irreversible modification(s)."

"The Court earlier stated, 'I am not the Lorax. I do not speak for the trees," Reyes wrote to close out her opinion. "The Court still does not speak for the trees. It speaks only for the rule of law."