US District Judge Ana Reyes issued a two-week temporary restraining order preventing the closure of East Potomac Park and its golf course, ruling the administration's justifications were pretextual and violated at least two federal laws.
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration's plan to close East Potomac Park and its historic golf course in Washington, DC, for a 15-month renovation.
US District Judge Ana Reyes issued a two-week temporary restraining order on Saturday, the day before the East Potomac Golf Links was set to close. The order runs through November 28, 2026, or further order from the court, whichever comes first.
Reyes ruled that the Trump administration's stated reasons for closing the park were "pretextual" and that the government violated at least two federal laws "to meet an arbitrary deadline." She wrote that the government "proposes to close a historic park, daily enjoyed by Washingtonians of all stripes, indefinitely."
The order prevents the government from closing East Potomac Park and the East Potomac Golf Course during the daily hours in which they were open as of November 14, 2026. It does not require the government to actively manage the park or course, but the government remains free to conduct repairs with any notice required by the existing preliminary injunction.
The case was brought by the DC Preservation League and two local golfers, represented by Democracy Forward. The plaintiffs argue that Trump's plan would change the character of the accessible golf course and make it unaffordable, something the president denies.
The legal dispute dates back to February. It escalated in October after the National Park Service cut down hundreds of trees at the 106-year-old park without notifying the judge until 15 hours before work was set to begin. Reyes has opened an inquiry into whether Justice Department attorneys made misrepresentations to the court and violated ethical rules, and she has appointed a special master to examine the matter.
Trump has called the course "Trash Island" and said it is the "worst" course in the world. He announced plans to renovate and rebuild it into "a World Championship Public Facility" capable of hosting events such as the US Open and the Ryder Cup. He said people living in the Washington area would receive a 50% discount on "any and all Rates charged."
The Justice Department said in a statement that "Nothing in the Court’s order precludes planning for the development of a world class golf course to continue," and that it "will always vociferously defend the Trump Administration’s agenda in court."
Catherine Carroll, a senior legal adviser at Democracy Forward, said: "We are grateful that once again, a court has intervened to prevent irreparable harm caused by the Trump-Vance administration’s pursuit of another one of the president’s vanity projects."
The Interior Department, Justice Department and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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A federal judge temporarily blocked the closure of Washington, D.C.'s East Potomac golf course and surrounding park, citing pretextual justifications and violations of federal law.
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