Judge Drops Demand in Trump Golf Course Dispute

A federal dispute over the future of a public golf course in Washington, DC, intensified as Judge Ana Reyes withdrew a demand for Justice Department attorneys to sign a court filing during a nearly seven-hour hearing on Monday. The case concerns President Donald Trump's proposed renovation of East Potomac Golf Links, a historic waterfront course whose affordability and accessibility have drawn opposition to the plan.

Reyes initially invoked Rule 11, which requires attorneys to stand behind the factual basis of court filings and can expose them to sanctions for violations. She backed away from the demand after Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. and other Justice Department attorneys refused to sign the filing, which Woodward had submitted under his own name.

The dispute follows the removal of approximately 430 trees from the course by the National Park Service earlier in October. The Interior Department said the work was part of a longstanding effort to restore the course's historic design and was unrelated to Trump's proposed redevelopment.

Although the tree removal did not violate an existing court order, Reyes subsequently issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting further removals. A federal court order also halted the administration's redevelopment plans until at least October 26, according to the BBC.

Trump announced on social media that the course would close for 15 months beginning in November to accommodate the renovation. He said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and architect Tom Fazio had developed a plan for a championship-level facility, with work scheduled to begin November 15.

Trump described the existing course as being in poor condition in a Sunday post, writing, "The current Course is old, broken, dilapidated, and of no further use or effect. It is in very poor condition, with falling, dangerous, and disease-infested trees and, importantly, a collapsing and hazardous seawall."

The president has also characterized the proposed redevelopment as an effort to create a high-quality public golf destination capable of hosting major tournaments. The plan forms part of broader changes to the nation's capital, including a proposed White House ballroom and a 250-foot-tall arch.

According to Fox News, Trump's criticism of Reyes escalated before Monday's hearing. He posted on Truth Social, "The judge on the case is a crazed lunatic whose courthouse tapes will reveal, may be insane? The tapes have been blocked from usage by the judge," while arguing that his administration had the right to improve the course.

The legal confrontation also centers on the Justice Department's response to Trump's public announcements. Reyes gave the department an 8 p.m. filing deadline on Sunday after concluding that the president's statements conflicted with an earlier court filing that said there was "no agency action" concerning the renovation plan.

At Monday's hearing, Reyes asked the department's attorneys to identify themselves as signatories to the filing. Woodward objected, saying the request was "not an appropriate request." Reyes initially set a 3 p.m. deadline for compliance, later extended it until noon Tuesday, and offered to let the attorneys' names appear on the document without requiring their signatures.

Reyes ultimately abandoned the demand, saying, "Late breaking news," before adding, "I'm going to withdraw request that DOJ refile yesterday's brief with identification of who signed it. we've all got better things to spend our time on."

Woodward has also sought Reyes' removal from the case, accusing her of bias and "open hostility" toward the Trump administration. Both Woodward and Trump have called for the release of audio recordings of the hearings.

The judge, appointed by President Joe Biden in 2023, previously faced a judicial-misconduct complaint over her handling of a case challenging Trump's restrictions on transgender people serving in the military. The complaint, filed by then-Justice Department Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle, alleged "hostile and egregious misconduct" and potential bias. The D.C. Circuit's chief judge later dismissed the complaint, concluding that a recusal motion was the appropriate means of challenging Reyes' conduct.

Beyond the courtroom, the proposed renovation has raised concerns among regular golfers who value the course's relatively low prices and central location. East Potomac Golf Links is one of three public courses operated by the National Park Service in Washington, DC, and sits approximately 2 miles (3 kilometers) south of the White House.

Jourdain Yardan, a 35-year-old golfer who plays there twice a week, told the BBC, "Anyone from any walk of life, whether they're starting to play golf or whether they're a ... seasoned golfer, they can come out here and play golf at a pretty reasonable rate."

Yardan warned that a major redevelopment could undermine the course's community role, saying, "You start to clear everything out and it just starts to become an empty plot of land that you just hit golf balls on; I think it gets rid of the culture of the golf course."

Another regular golfer, 70-year-old Thomas Snow, said the facility could benefit from improvements but disputed Trump's description of its condition. Snow pays $29 for 18 holes and told the BBC, "There's no place in the whole DMV (the metropolitan region including DC and its Maryland and Virginia suburbs) that you can play a nice 18 holes for that price point," adding that he fears the proposed changes could price out existing customers.

Yardan also questioned whether the upgraded facility would remain accessible to ordinary residents, telling the BBC, "Anytime you hear about big league, big golfers, that also includes big prices," and, "The biggest thing that I like about this golf course .. is that it's affordable."

The lawsuit was filed in February by the DC Preservation League and two golfers, who are seeking to stop the proposed renovation. Democracy Forward, the organization representing the plaintiffs, said the litigation aims to protect the course for the surrounding community. The court's restrictions on redevelopment remain in place until at least October 26.