Esra Tekin
15 November 2026•Update: 15 November 2026
A federal judge on Saturday night temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s plans to renovate a public golf course in Washington, DC, ordering his administration to keep the facility open despite an announced closure scheduled for Sunday.
US District Judge Ana C. Reyes ruled that the administration’s efforts to transform East Potomac Golf Links into a championship-level course, part of Trump’s broader ambition to reshape the capital and establish a lasting legacy, likely breached environmental regulations and failed to comply with procedural requirements governing executive actions.
Reyes also rejected the Justice Department’s assertion that the Nov. 15 closure was necessary for safety reasons, describing the administration’s justification as a pretext.
“The government proposes to close a historic park, daily enjoyed by Washingtonians of all stripes, indefinitely,” Reyes wrote.
The judge ruled that the closure would cause “irreparable harm” to the plaintiffs, including individual golfers and preservation advocates.
Following the ruling, the US Justice Department said it would continue to vigorously defend the Trump administration’s policies in court.
A department spokesperson told CNN that the court had recognized the National Park Service’s authority to restrict access to facilities when public safety is at risk, adding that the ruling did not prevent planning for the development of a world-class golf course from moving forward.
The decision marks the latest development in a months-long legal dispute between US District Judge Ana C. Reyes and the Trump administration. The dispute has seen Trump publicly criticize Reyes on social media, while the judge has raised concerns that government lawyers may have misled the court.
The department previously sought, unsuccessfully, to have Reyes removed from the case.
The lawsuit, filed by preservation advocates and golfers seeking to block the redevelopment, argues that the proposed changes would violate federal environmental regulations and restrict public access to the golf course.
The Trump administration has clashed with judges, members of Congress, and activists on other projects, including renovations to Washington’s Kennedy Center and a planned triumphal arch adjacent to Arlington Cemetery in nearby northern Virginia, where service members and selected public figures are laid to rest.
