Biden Judge BLOCKS Trump — What She’s REALLY Stopping

Judge with gavel striking sound block — Photo: Nuttapong punna / Shutterstock

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to stop cutting trees at East Potomac Golf Course in Washington after crews took down about 500 of them over a holiday weekend.

Story Snapshot

Judge Ana Reyes ordered a halt to all tree removal at the course until 7 a.m. Tuesday, unless the court acts sooner. The pause covers even routine upkeep.
The National Park Service told the court at 4:55 p.m. Friday that cutting would start Saturday morning.
The groups that sued say about 500 trees came down on Saturday.
The Interior Department says crews are carrying out a 2019 plan to clear overgrown trees, and a top park official swore the work is not a redesign.
The pause is temporary, and the case is still before the court.

Judge Ana Reyes, a federal trial judge in Washington, D.C., who was appointed by President Joe Biden, issued the order on Monday, Oct. 12. She acted because the Park Service gave the court notice of the cutting late on a Friday before the Columbus Day weekend, and crews were on the course by 8 a.m. Saturday, according to the groups that sued. In May, she had told the government not to cut more than 10 trees without first notifying the court.

What the Government Says

The Interior Department, which runs the Park Service, says it is “finally implementing a 7-year-old plan” to deal with tree overgrowth on the course. Government filings said up to 529 trees could come down. Officials describe them as trees that do not contribute to the course’s historic landscape, meaning they are not part of what makes the site historic. The department says the work will restore the course’s historic look and open up views of nearby landmarks.

Kevin Griess, superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks, swore in a court filing that the work is not a renovation or redesign of the course. He also said no healthy historic cherry trees would be cut. A Friday filing said crews planned to remove 169 trees starting Saturday and 90 more later.

Why the Course Is Being Redone

President Trump, an avid golfer, wants to renovate the public course. He says it has fallen into disrepair and could one day host major tournaments. According to reports, the administration wants to turn it into a championship-level venue. In an interview in early September, Trump said of his building projects in the capital, “Nobody will do it once I’m gone. When I leave here, nobody will.”

The lawsuit was brought by the DC Preservation League, a local group that works to protect historic places, and two area residents. A legal advocacy group, Democracy Forward, represents them. They argue the tree work is part of the golf overhaul and skips required environmental and historic reviews. They call the government’s overgrowth explanation a cover for that plan.

A Judge Out of Patience

At a hearing Monday, Reyes said she was “thoroughly unamused” by the 4:55 p.m. Friday notice. She told government lawyers the abrupt removal “has cost the government all of its credibility” in the case. “In what universe did anyone in your office think that was acceptable?!” she asked, according to reports.

When Justice Department lawyers said they had not known the details of the tree-cutting plan, Reyes answered, “Ignorance is not an excuse.” She warned that breaking her order “by two seconds” would lead to contempt proceedings. Contempt of court means a judge can punish someone for defying an order.

What Comes Next

Reyes found that the groups suing “are likely to suffer immediate and irreparable harm,” one of the tests a judge applies before an emergency pause. She ordered Griess to be ready to testify about who ordered the tree removal, when he got that order, and when government lawyers first learned of the plan. The trees that are down cannot be put back. Whether any more can be cut is still before the court.