English
A federal judge in Washington has blocked the Trump administration from closing East Potomac Park to the public, delivering a significant setback to President Donald Trump’s plans to redevelop the park’s golf course. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes issued the ruling on Saturday, ordering that the course and surrounding bike and walking paths remain open while litigation continues.
Judge Orders Park to Stay Open
The administration had announced plans to close East Potomac Park and Hains Point starting Sunday. However, Judge Reyes ruled that closing the park would “irreparably harm” the plaintiffs, the Washington, D.C., Preservation League, who regularly use the area. She also found that the government had not identified any credible harm it would suffer from a temporary restraining order.
Stay connected to every major update — subscribe and follow us on the PhoenixQ website and across our social media platforms.
Reyes wrote that the closure would run “counter to the public interest in utilizing national parkland.” Her order allows routine, temporary closures consistent with the park’s historical practices, but it bars the administration from using the absence of golf operations as a reason to exclude the public.
Safety Claims Meet Judicial Skepticism
The administration argued the park needed to close for repairs, including a damaged seawall it described as an imminent public safety threat. Judge Reyes expressed clear skepticism. She pointed out that the National Park Service had recently cut down more than 400 trees in the area within just ten days, an action she had previously described as “bad faith.”
Reyes wrote that if public safety were truly at risk, the NPS would have taken steps to address the known safety issues. She noted that the agency had demonstrated both the ability and resources to act quickly, making its safety argument difficult to accept.
Trump Criticizes Park and Judge
Hours before the ruling, President Trump referred to East Potomac Park as “trash island” on Truth Social while also criticizing Judge Reyes. He wrote that the Department of the Interior would transform what he called the world’s worst golf course into the best. Trump had announced on October 18 that the park’s three link-style courses would be converted into a single 18-hole championship course.
During a lengthy hearing on Friday, a government lawyer argued that the decision to close the park was “distinct” from the president’s social media announcement about renovations. Attorney Adam Gustafson said the Interior Department’s shutdown decision was “not the same action” as Trump’s public declaration.
East Potomac Park is one of several Washington landmarks Trump has targeted during his second term. Judges have blocked work at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and a proposed triumphal arch. The Supreme Court, however, did allow Trump to build a ballroom on the White House grounds earlier this year.
A Justice Department spokesperson said the ruling would not stop development planning. The spokesperson added that nothing in the court’s order prevents planning for “a world class golf course” from continuing, and that the department would “vociferously defend the Trump Administration’s agenda in court.”
