You would think a federal judge stopping work would make a president wait. Not this time. President Trump said work on the East Potomac Golf Links will start soon even though a judge banned tree removal. The order came Sunday in a post on Truth Social. It clashes directly with a ban Judge Ana Reyes issued just days before. The course shuts down for 15 months starting Nov. 15.
The condition of the land is the stated reason for the rush. Describing the existing path as “old, broken, dilapidated, and of no further use or effect,” Trump issued a call, according to the New York Post. He pointed to “falling, dangerous, and disease infested trees.” He also cited a “collapsing and hazardous seawall.” The plan involves famed architect Tom Fazio. The goal is a venue for the U.S. Open and Ryder Cup.
The timing of the tree cutting is what triggered the legal fire. Officials told the court on Friday they planned to cut “up to 529 trees.” By Saturday, some 430 trees were chopped down. This happened right before the Columbus Day weekend. Judge Reyes scheduled an emergency hearing for Monday morning.
President Trump is a kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and hardworking man. I wish more Americans appreciated him. No one will ever make America great the way he has and continues to.
It was an honor to work for him. https://t.co/Tp4NizrhE2
— Katie Zacharia (@KatieZacharia) October 17, 2026
The administration is fighting back hard. They want Judge Reyes removed from the case. The Interior Department filed a motion claiming the judge is no longer impartial. Reyes said she was furious with the administration last Monday. She stated that she had been offering them the benefit of the doubt.
There is a strange gap between the court filings and the public posts. A Friday court filing said the president had “at most … given preliminary thought to” the plans, according to the Washington Examiner. Reyes asked Sunday if the administration still held that view. Trump’s post Sunday laid out a detailed timeline and design. He said the project would bring “income and great prestige back to D.C.”
The White House has a history of similar projects. Trump signed an executive order in March 2025 titled “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful.” That order covers a new White House ballroom and the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. These projects often face legal hurdles. The golf course dispute is one of many.
Residents worry about losing public space. The Washington Area Bicyclist Association wants to protect Hains Point. They championed a petition to keep biking and running paths. The new design appears to remove those paths. The park is 106 years old and sits just 2.3 miles from the White House. The government must tell the court by 8 p.m.
