WASHINGTON, Oct 12 (Reuters) – A United States judge said on Monday that she was “furious” with the lawyers of the Department of Justice over their conduct in a lawsuit aimed at blocking the government of Donald Trump from acquiring a historic golf course in Washington.
According to the judge, the removal of hundreds of trees from the course over the weekend is “inexcusable”.
“More than being upset and furious at this moment, I am deeply disappointed with the government,” said Federal Judge Ana Reyes of Washington to the government’s lawyers during a court hearing. “In what universe did someone in your office think this would be acceptable?”
Reyes stated that the sudden removal of about 500 trees at East Potomac Golf Links, which began on Friday afternoon, was unacceptable because, in May, she had demanded that the government provide advance notice of any large-scale construction work on the golf course.
The fact that the Department of Justice failed to notify the preservation group that filed the lawsuit about the tree-removal work “cost the government all of its credibility” in the case, the judge said.
The Department of Justice’s attorney, Marissa Piropato, said during the hearing that the government’s lawyers had done what they could to gather details about the tree removal in order to present them in a court filing. “You did not do what you could,” Reyes replied. “You did the worst possible job.”
Since taking office in January 2025, Trump has targeted the country’s cultural and historical institutions, from museums and monuments to national parks and arts centers, in an effort to reshape them.
The president announced last year plans to reform East Potomac Golf Links, a public century-old golf course owned by the federal government and run by the National Park Service, an agency of the Interior Department.
Trump, an avid golfer who owns several courses, said he hopes that the renovation will allow the course to host major tournaments.
The Washington, D.C. Preservation League stated, in a lawsuit filed in February 2026, that Trump was flouting environmental laws to “irreparably destroy an invaluable piece of American history,” in order to “transform a public leisure space into an exclusive, high-end golf course.”
Reyes told the government’s lawyers, in a May hearing, that there would be “serious consequences” if large-scale construction were initiated without prior notice to the court.
In a court filing dated October 9, the Trump administration asked Reyes to dismiss the case, arguing that it was premature, as the “proposed project is still in an early and conceptual stage.”
The DC Preservation League’s lawyers asked Judge Reyes on Sunday to issue an emergency order blocking further tree removals at the golf course and requiring notice about any other irreversible modifications, arguing that, despite her May statements, more than 500 trees were removed on Saturday.
Reyes issued a temporary order on Sunday suspending any tree removals until Tuesday morning and indicated, during Monday’s hearing, that she planned to extend the suspension further.
Kevin Griess, a National Park Service official, told the Monday hearing that the tree removals are intended to improve park safety and restore its original design, and are part of a 2019 plan predating Trump’s ambitions for the golf course.
