A federal judge in Washington, D.C., clashed sharply with Justice Department officials on Monday, indicating that she intends to prolong an injunction halting tree removal at a historic public golf course amid contradictory statements between the Trump administration and President Donald Trump himself.
During a contentious seven-hour hearing, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes expressed deep skepticism regarding the federal government’s justification for abruptly chopping down hundreds of trees over the Columbus Day holiday weekend at East Potomac Golf Links, NBC News reported. The judge had previously mandated that the administration notify the court prior to executing major alterations to the grounds because of pending litigation filed by the D.C. Preservation League and two local residents.
Contradictions Over Renovation Plans
Government lawyers and federal officials insisted in court that no finalized renovation program was underway and characterized the tree clearing as standard upkeep outlined in a 2019 Cultural Landscape Report. Interior Department Chief of Staff Gregory Wischer and acting National Park Service Director Jessica Bowron testified that they possessed no details about an imminent shutdown or an overhaul scheduled for mid-November, according to reporting from NBC News and ABC News.
Those assertions directly clashed with statements posted on social media by Trump. The president announced over the weekend that a blueprint had been formulated alongside golf architect Tom Fazio to build a championship venue, stating that the facility would close Nov. 15 for work that should begin immediately, ABC News and NPR reported. Trump also stated publicly to reporters on Monday that the site was worn out and that the government intended to construct a better course.
Reyes questioned which narrative she should accept, noting that the president had repeatedly declared a comprehensive overhaul was ready while agency attorneys maintained the opposite in court filings, according to NPR. The judge remarked that it was impossible for the rapid tree removal and Trump’s overhaul announcements to have occurred entirely by coincidence, finding what she termed bad faith on the part of the administration, NBC News reported.
Recusal Dispute and Tensions in Court
The legal confrontation follows an unsuccessful effort by the Justice Department to disqualify Reyes from handling the dispute. Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, the department’s third-ranking official, filed a motion arguing the judge demonstrated personal prejudice and engaged in emotional outbursts during previous proceedings, NBC News reported.
Reyes rejected that request over the weekend, writing that the government fell far short of meeting the rigorous threshold required for judicial recusal. She stated that her earlier frustration stemmed not from political bias, but from the government providing notice at 4:55 p.m. on the eve of a three-day weekend before immediately felling more than 400 trees, according to court documents cited by NBC News.
In court Monday, tempers flared when Woodward instructed department attorneys not to explain why their signatures were omitted from his recent court filings, prompting Reyes to direct him to submit a formal brief outlining his legal authority to issue such instructions, ABC News reported.
Trump targeted Reyes on social media on Monday morning ahead of the session, calling her a “crazed lunatic” and arguing that the Interior Department possesses the clear right to proceed without judicial permission, according to NPR. At the conclusion of the hearing, Reyes stated that her family members had expressed alarm after hearing reports that she had received death threats following the public criticism, NBC News reported.
The hearing concluded Monday evening without a final ruling on the permanent injunction, leaving the temporary ban on tree removal in place while the court weighs whether to extend protections across the 100-year-old municipal links, according to NPR.
