Trump Vows to Defy Judge's Order Blocking His Golf Course Tree Removal

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes issued a 70-page preliminary injunction on October 26, 2026, barring further tree removal at East Potomac Park's golf course and requiring 10 business days' notice before irreversible changes, in a lawsuit the D.C. Preservation League and two golfers filed in February. Reyes found the government likely violated federal environmental law by splitting a Trump-backed renovation into smaller pieces to avoid full review, writing that its insistence no plan existed "conflicted" with Trump's own statements about a "World Class Championship Golf Course," and that "rarely, if ever" has the Justice Department urged a court not to believe the president.

Trump responded on Truth Social, calling the ruling "unconstitutional," saying Interior would appeal, and that the course would close November 15 as planned — a timeline conflicting with the notice requirement. He had earlier called Reyes a "crazed lunatic," part of a pattern of publicly rejecting adverse rulings rather than simply appealing them.

The injunction remains in effect. Reyes, quoting her line that she is "not the Lorax," said the court "speaks only for the rule of law." The administration said it would seek relief from the D.C. Circuit, but no filing was confirmed.