Judge Blocks Trump’s Plan to Renovate Historic Washington Golf Course

East Potomac Park faces closure as a federal judge blocks Donald Trump’s plans to renovate the municipal golf course in Washington, D.C.

Ana Reyes blocks the closure

Federal judge Ana C. Reyes issued a temporary restraining order on Saturday, November 14, 2026, stopping the administration from closing East Potomac Golf Links the following day. The administration intended to shutter the 160-hectare park on November 15 to begin heavy redevelopment.

La Presse reported that the judge found the closure would cause irreparable harm to local residents and heritage advocates who use the municipal park daily. The administration sought to close indefinitely a historic park frequented daily by Washington residents from all walks of life, according to Paris Match.

The Justice Department argued that closing the facility was necessary for public safety due to cramped fairways and narrow distances between holes. Judge Reyes dismissed those arguments as a pretext. She wrote that the National Park Service cannot bypass required public consultation simply to satisfy the president’s timeline.

Jessie Liu appointed special master

The appointment followed an October 30 hearing where the judge ordered an ethics inquiry, questioning whether government lawyers misled the court regarding the administration's intentions to continue renovation work despite a temporary court order blocking the project.

Liu served as the top federal prosecutor for the District of Columbia during Trump's first term, supervising criminal proceedings against Roger Stone, a longtime close associate of Trump. Liu subsequently worked in private practice before founding a law firm with two other former prosecutors in April.

The Interior Department sharply criticized Judge Reyes following the appointment, accusing her of political bias and opposing the president’s efforts to improve the capital. The underlying lawsuit contends that the rehabilitation project violates federal environmental rules and restricts public access.

Lawsuit filed after tree removal began

Environmental groups and local golfers filed the initial lawsuit after preliminary demolition work began on the property. Mezha.net reported that Reyes previously suspended the felling of trees along the course after more than 400 trees had been removed with minimal notice given to the public.

The president initially scheduled construction to begin on September 1, 2026, which triggered the ongoing judicial challenges.

“Unfortunately, the judge Ana Reyes does not want us to quickly and cheaply renovate the course, which is also very dangerous: the fairways are much too close together,” said Donald Trump, President of the United States, in a statement published on Truth Social and covered by Mezha.net.

“When walking through the alleys of Trash Island, one does not hear the Potomac flowing; all one hears are people shouting: “FORE!” said Donald Trump, President of the United States, in a statement published on Truth Social.

White House capital redesigns

The East Potomac dispute runs parallel to several other high-profile architectural changes pushed by the administration in Washington. Le HuffPost said that the golf course overhaul joins contentious plans to alter the Kennedy Center, build a triumphal arch on the Potomac, and construct a ballroom.

Trump defended the golf project on social media by sharing numerous photographs highlighting structural decay, damaged fences, and standing water on the grounds he terms Trash Island. He asserted that the revamped course would eventually host major tournaments like the US Open, PGA Championship, Ryder Cup, and Presidents Cup.

Beyond the golf project, the administration’s remodeling efforts in Washington include replacing the White House Rose Garden with a terrace, changing the interior decoration of several rooms to add marble and gilding which the president claims to pay for out of his own pocket, and altering the Lincoln Memorial basin lining with a blue floor named “American flag blue” to leave a legacy.

“The Court has recognized that the National Park Service can limit access to its facilities when the public is exposed to a risk,” said a Department of Justice spokesperson, according to Paris Match, adding that nothing in the order stops the development planning for a world-class course. The Justice Department also declared in a statement that it would always vehemently defend the Trump administration’s agenda in court.