Judge blocks Trump's plan to close historic DC golf course
Summarised from 7 outlets · 8 reports · Updated 15 Nov, 06:43 · Archive
A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration's closure of East Potomac Park and its historic golf course in Washington, DC.
US District Judge Ana Reyes issued a temporary restraining order on Saturday blocking the Trump administration from closing East Potomac Park and its golf course in Washington, DC. The closure was scheduled for Sunday, 15 November, with plans to close the course for 15 months. Trump announced in October that he would undertake a 'historic renovation' to create 'one of the Best and Most Spectacular Golf Courses anywhere in the World', with the course designed by golf architect Tom Fazio.
The legal challenge began in February when the DC Preservation League and two local golfers filed suit against the project. They argued that Trump's plan would change the character of the accessible public golf course and make it unaffordable. Trump denies these claims.
In her 30-page decision, Reyes ruled that the Trump administration's stated reasons for closing the park were 'pretextual' and that the government violated at least two federal laws 'to meet an arbitrary deadline'. She wrote: 'The government proposes to close a historic park, daily enjoyed by Washingtonians of all stripes, indefinitely.' The judge found that the closure 'runs counter to the public interest in utilising national parkland'.
Trump's social media posts proved significant to the decision. In posts on Truth Social in October, Trump called the course 'Trash Island' and described it as the 'worst' course in the world, stating that conditions were 'very dangerous'. On 26 October, he wrote: 'We are closing the East Potomac Golf Course Site as scheduled on November 15th in order to renovate and rebuild for Competitive, Safety, Modernization, and Aesthetic reasons.' Reyes noted that these posts indicated 'that the Washington National Plan is final and that NPS will close the Park to implement it'.
Reyes ruled that the Trump administration cannot close the park or its golf course. However, she added that the administration was not required to actively manage golf operations at the site. She stated that the government 'cannot use the absence of golf operations as a reason to exclude the public'.
The course sits on federally owned land at East Potomac Park, near the Jefferson Memorial about 2 miles south of the White House. It has been part of Washington's public golf scene for over a century. The temporary order will remain in effect until 28 November, when further proceedings are expected.
How it is being reported
- Federal judge blocks Trump from moving ahead on Washington public golf course redevelopmentUS District Judge Ana Reyes issued the temporary restraining order before the East Potomac Golf Links was due to close Sunday for 15 months.New York Post · 15 Nov, 06:41
- US judge blocks Trump’s plan to renovate historic DC golf courseOrder by judge Ana Reyes is the latest instance of the federal judiciary pushing back against Trump’s efforts to redesign the nation’s capital A federal judge has ordered a temporary suspension of any work at a historic Washington public golf course, in the latest setback for US president Donald Trump’s plan to turn it into a championship-level course. In a 30-page decision, US district judge Ana Reyes temporarily blocked the federal government from moving forward with a plan that would have closed East Potomac Park on Sunday. Trump said in an 18 October social media post that the closure…The Guardian · 15 Nov, 04:52
- Judge temporarily blocks Trump from moving ahead on Washington public golf course redevelopmentA federal judge on Saturday ordered a two-week delay to any work at a historic Washington public golf course not far from the White House.NPR · 15 Nov, 04:28
- Judge temporarily blocks Trump from closing Washington DC golf course for renovationIt is the latest development in a months-long challenge to the president's plans for East Potomac Golf Links.BBC World · 15 Nov, 03:21
- Federal judge blocks Trump's renovations of DC golf course hours before its closureA federal judge cited Donald Trump's Truth Social posts as key evidence when issuing a temporary restraining order on the East Potomac renovation.Fox News · 15 Nov, 03:00
- Trump's demand to close historic park so he can build an international golf course near the White House is blocked by judgeTrump 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.Daily Mail · 15 Nov, 02:27
- Federal judge blocks Trump from closing historic D.C. golf course, for nowU.S. District Judge Ana Reyes ruled that the Trump administration cannot close East Potomac Park in Washington, D.C., for now.CBS News · 15 Nov, 02:05
- The government says it will close a beloved D.C. park Sunday. Will a judge step in?Federal judge Ana Reyes grilled the government on Friday about its plans for East Potomac Park, and indicated she could order it to remain open despite President Trump's renovation wishes.NPR · 13 Nov, 21:06
In this story: Ana Reyes · Donald Trump · East Potomac Park · Tom Fazio · DC Preservation League · National Park Service · Washington, DC
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