A federal judge on Saturday (November 14, 2026) ordered a temporary stop to any work at a historic Washington public golf course not far from the White House, blocking for now President Donald Trump's push to redevelop the site along the Potomac River into a championship-level venue.
asserted
judge → order → venue
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes issued the temporary restraining order before the East Potomac Golf Links was due to close on Sunday (November 15) for 15 months.
asserted
Links → issue → months
Mr. Trump had announced work would begin that day despite the legal challenge initiated against the project in February by the DC Preservation League and two local golfers.
asserted
work → announce → League
The plaintiffs argue that Mr. Trump's plan would change the character of the accessible golf course and make it unaffordable, something the Republican president denies.
asserted
president → argue → course
They had sought the stop-work order, saying that closing the course and launching work on the project would "irreparably injure plaintiffs and the public interest."
asserted
closing → seek → plaintiffs
The park's redevelopment is one of multiple projects in the nation's capital that Mr. Trump has championed to remake the city.
asserted
Trump → champion → city
They include a large memorial arch, a White House ballroom and the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts, among others.
asserted
They → include → others
Ms. Reyes had signalled throughout a five-hour court hearing on Friday (November 13) that she was likely to issue a stoppage order for the park closure.
asserted
she → signal → closure
Justice Department lawyer Adam Gustafson argued that the entire East Potomac Park, which includes three golf courses, a miniature course, bike-riding lanes, and other recreational areas, was being closed for safety reasons.
asserted
which → argue → reasons
He also noted that the lease between the government and the current operator, National Links Trust, was ending on Sunday (November 15).
asserted
lease → note → Sunday
Ms. Reyes pointed out that safety had not been part of the discussion over the closure for months and that ending the lease felt more like an action that provided a premise for the closure rather than an action that led to the closure of the course about 2 miles from the White House.
asserted
that → point → House
She also rejected Gustafson's argument that the closure was separate from Mr. Trump's repeated pronouncements that he wanted the course to be closed and renovated into a world-class venue and had called repeatedly for the park's closure by the deadline as part of what is known as the Washington National plan.
asserted
what → reject → plan
Even before the order, Mr. Trump lashed out in a social media post on Saturday (November 14), contending that Reyes "doesn't want us to quickly and inexpensively fix up the Course which is also very dangerous."
asserted
which → lash → Course
He said people who live in the Washington area would get a 50 per cent discount on "any Rates charged" and that the redevelopment would "evolve into something very special, something which the Judge will be able to take great pride in seeing!"
asserted
Judge → say → pride
Ms. Reyes' order was the latest in a series of rulings in lawsuits challenging Mr. Trump's projects that were issued just hours before construction was expected to begin.
asserted
construction → challenge → projects
A different judge recently ordered a 14-day delay on work for the arch, a decision that came shortly after a key planning commission stacked with Mr. Trump appointees approved plans for the project.
asserted
commission → order → project
Ms. Reyes, who was nominated to the court by Democratic President Joe Biden, had for months been reticent about approving the plaintiffs' requests for work stoppages.
asserted
who → nominate → stoppages
The plaintiffs had argued the administration was moving ahead with work related to the project despite the pending lawsuit.
asserted
administration → argue → lawsuit
Her reluctance to issue orders ended in October, spurred in part by a tree-cutting spree by the administration over a holiday weekend with little notification to the judge or plaintiffs.
asserted
reluctance → issue → judge
Officials and government lawyers said the tree work was part of a 2019 plan that recommended the cutting.
asserted
that → say → cutting
In response, the judge confronted the administration over what she portrayed as deceitful actions over its intentions for the project.
asserted
she → confront → project
Ms. Reyes has repeatedly expressed frustration over the minute planning details she has been asked to adjudicate, including over the trees being cut down at the 106-year-old park.
asserted
she → express → park
The Justice Department filed a request that Reyes be removed from the case because of what it called her "egregious behaviour" and questioned her impartiality.
asserted
it → file → impartiality
Reyes has not recused herself.
asserted
Reyes → recuse → herself
The restraining order was one of two issues Reyes took up during Friday's (November 13) hearing.
asserted
Reyes → take → hearing
She announced plans last week to name Jessie Liu, a former U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, to examine whether officials with the Interior Department and the National Park Service and attorneys with the Justice Department had violated ethics or misled her during the course of the case.
asserted
officials → announce → case
Mr. Gustafson asked her to reconsider and give the Justice Department the opportunity to show an outside investigator was unnecessary.
asserted
investigator → ask → opportunity
"It's quite a cloud on the people it affects," he said.
asserted
he → affect → people
Ms. Reyes said she understood.
asserted
she → say → ?
"To be frank with you I don't want to do this," she said, but she had an ethical obligation to at least look because "I think there is enough smoke that someone needs to consider whether there's been fire."
asserted
someone → want → obligation
The Aporia
