Key facts
- U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes demanded firmer commitments from the Trump administration regarding renovations at the East Potomac Golf Links.
- Judge Reyes cited President Donald Trump's social media posts and a recent visit to the course as reasons for her concern that work might proceed.
- The judge gave the government and plaintiffs two weeks to agree on language that would assure her the project would not move forward before legal resolution.
- The lawsuit, filed by the DC Preservation League, argues the renovation violates the act that created East Potomac Park in 1897.
- The course has also been used as a dumping ground for debris from the demolition of the East Wing of the White House.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes on Thursday sought stronger assurances from the Trump administration that it would not proceed with renovations at the East Potomac Golf Links until legal challenges are resolved. Reyes expressed concern over recent statements by President Donald Trump on social media indicating major renovations would begin September 1, and noted that plans displayed during his recent visit to the course suggested the project was further along than publicly acknowledged.
The judge stated she was not yet convinced the agency would act in bad faith but gave the government and the plaintiffs, the DC Preservation League, two weeks to work on language that would provide assurances that bulldozers would not suddenly appear at the course. The lawsuit alleges that the Trump administration's reconstruction of East Potomac Park violates the congressional act that created the park in 1897.
Plaintiffs are suing to halt the administration's plans, which they say are part of Trump's broader efforts to alter public spaces in the capital. The course has also been used to dump debris from the demolition of the East Wing of the White House. Reyes indicated she would need evidence that the debris poses a danger before considering action on that matter.