Judge Bars Tree Removal, Limits Trump Golf Renovation

U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes on October 26, 2026 barred the Trump administration from removing or damaging more trees at East Potomac Golf Course without a court order and required at least 10 business days' written notice before any closure or irreversible modification. More than 400 trees were removed on October 10 without meaningful notice, after Reyes had asked for notice before cutting more than 10 trees. The 70-page opinion allows an exception for an imminent threat with 24 hours' notice to the court and plaintiffs and a sworn declaration from a senior National Park Service employee. Reyes found the renovation plan final, citing the president's and secretary's posts and the government's actions. Government lawyers maintained there was no final plan. At a hearing the prior week—the same morning Trump announced on Truth Social detailed plans to immediately close and overhaul the course—Interior and NPS officials testified they had no knowledge of firm plans. Reyes asked government lawyer Robert Stander, "So who do I believe, the President of the United States, or do I believe you?" She wrote that rarely has the Justice Department urged a court not to believe the sitting president, adding "And yet, here we are," and that the court acted only because the government did what it assured it would not do. Democracy Forward's Skye Perryman, for the plaintiffs, called it a big win. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.