Judge Reyes Blocks Closure of East Potomac Park and Golf Course Through Nov. 28

A federal judge has stopped, for now, the Trump administration's plan to shut down East Potomac Park and its public golf course on Sunday, Nov. 15.

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes issued a temporary restraining order today, Nov. 14. It stays in effect "through November 28, 2026, or further order from the Court, whichever comes first."

The order bars the government from closing the park and the golf course during the daily hours they were open as of Nov. 14. It does not stop the administration from doing repairs, and it does not force it to actively manage either site. Reyes wrote that the government "remains free, as it has since the onset of this litigation, to conduct repairs on any part of the Park and Course with any notice required by the existing Preliminary Injunction."

The judge's findings

Reyes found the government's closure rationales were pretextual. The administration pointed to a deteriorating seawall and the absence of a golf course operator. She noted the National Park Service had flagged seawall safety concerns as far back as 2019 without deciding the entire park had to close.

"The Court concludes that DOI and NPS plan to close the Park to further the Washington National Plan," she wrote. She also wrote that "the Government reverse-engineers additional justifications for the Park's closure... All while it continues to assert that it will close the Park to follow the President's directive."

At a five-hour hearing Friday, Nov. 13, Reyes asked government counsel directly: "You're carrying out the President's directive; right?" The answer: "Uh-huh, and that's the way the government works."

Trump's own posts weighed heavily. On Oct. 26 he wrote that "We are closing the East Potomac Golf Course Site as scheduled on November 15th in order to renovate and rebuild for Competitive (with other such projects!), Safety, Modernization, and Aesthetic reasons." Reyes said the posts "indicate that the Washington National Plan is final and that NPS will close the Park to implement it." She added: "Both points favor granting Plaintiffs' motion."

How the case got here

The DC Preservation League and two local golfers sued the Interior Department and National Park Service in February. They allege the plan to redo the course, which dates to the 1920s, violates environmental, historic-preservation and park laws. They also argue it would change the character of an accessible public course and make it unaffordable. Trump denies that.

On Oct. 13, Reyes ordered a halt to tree cutting. Before that, the government cut down hundreds of trees in a single weekend in early October. Accounts of the count range from 430 to more than 500.

On Oct. 16, the government told the court there was "no final agency action" and that "at most ... the President has given preliminary thought to" a rebuild. On Oct. 18, Trump posted a rendering bearing the presidential and Interior Department seals. He said Interior, under Secretary Doug Burgum, and architect Tom Fazio had "developed a plan to build a World Class Championship Golf Course" on the site.

The Justice Department has since told the court Interior was working on a plan to close the course and temporarily cut off public access to all of East Potomac Park. That includes a road, a playground and recreation areas. At Friday's hearing, Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward said he "would be shocked to learn there is a contract" with Fazio or affiliated entities for the new design and construction.

The separate inquiry into the government's candor

On Oct. 30, Reyes announced a formal inquiry into the government's conduct. On Nov. 7, she said she intended to appoint Jessie Liu as special master. Liu was the U.S. attorney for D.C. from 2017 to 2020 under Trump's first term. The inquiry would examine whether Interior and Park Service officials and Justice Department lawyers violated ethics rules or misled the court about the scope of the renovation plans and about steps such as the tree removal.

Reyes gave both sides until Friday, Nov. 13, to respond in writing. Earlier in the case she had rejected multiple plaintiff motions to intervene, saying she trusted the government's attorneys.

The administration's position

Trump says the project is an upgrade, not a closure of public access. In a Truth Social post Saturday, he called the course "Trash Island," said it is "very dangerous" and described the fairways as "far too close together." He wrote that "Unfortunately, Judge Ana Reyes doesn't want us to quickly and inexpensively fix up the Course."

He said the rebuilt course could host the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship, the Ryder Cup and the Presidents Cup. He also said D.C.-area residents would be able to play for half price. The renovated course is expected to open in roughly 15 months. In May, the National Links Trust announced the administration would give the course a "historic restoration."

The plaintiffs' side sees it differently. Catherine Carroll, senior legal advisor at Democracy Forward, said in a statement: "We are grateful that once again, a court has intervened to prevent irreparable harm caused by the Trump-Vance administration's pursuit of another one of the president's vanity projects." She said the park "could never be replaced."

The course is one of several Trump-backed projects reshaping the capital. Others include a memorial arch, a White House ballroom and work at the Kennedy Center.

What comes next

The restraining order expires Nov. 28 unless Reyes extends or replaces it. The existing preliminary injunction still bars removal of more trees and requires 10 days' written notice before any "irreparable modification" to the course's forms or features. Reyes's inquiry into whether the government misled her remains open.

It is unresolved whether the administration can show the court a final plan, a contract and a closure rationale that line up. Woodward's statement that he'd be shocked to learn of a Fazio contract sits next to Trump's public announcement that Fazio is part of the plan.