A federal judge on Saturday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from closing East Potomac Park and its golf course in Washington, D.C., one day before the closure was set to take effect, CBS News reported.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes ruled that the administration cannot close the park or its golf course, but said the government is not required to actively manage either, according to CBS News. POLITICO said in a post on X that the judge rejected President Trump’s bid to immediately close the course.
Judge rejects Trump’s bid to immediately close East Potomac golf course https://t.co/VJdytQFQqG
— POLITICO (@politico) November 15, 2026
Park stays open through Nov. 28
Reyes ordered the administration to keep the historic park and course open to the public for two weeks, and said needed repairs could continue, Bloomberg Law reported. Her order lasts until Nov. 28, according to CBS News.
In a 30-page decision, Reyes said the administration’s justifications for the closure were pretextual and that the government violated at least two federal laws “to meet an arbitrary deadline,” the BBC reported. “The Government proposes to close a historic park, daily enjoyed by Washingtonians of all stripes, indefinitely,” Reyes wrote, according to the BBC.
The administration had argued the whole park needed to close because of a deteriorating sea wall, safety risks at the course, and because the group running the course, the National Links Trust, would stop operating it as of Nov. 15, CBS News reported. Reyes noted that safety concerns had been raised for years while the course stayed open, Bloomberg Law reported. Reyes is an appointee of former President Joe Biden, according to Bloomberg Law.
Trump’s renovation plan
Trump announced in October that the 106-year-old course would close for about 15 months starting Nov. 15 for a renovation meant to create a course “able to hold World Class Tournaments,” the BBC reported. In a post on Truth Social, Trump called the current course “old, broken, dilapidated, and of no further use or effect,” with “disease-infested trees” and “a collapsing and hazardous seawall,” according to the BBC.
Before the ruling on Saturday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that the Interior Department would make the park “into the Best Golf Course anywhere in the World,” and said he hoped the judge would agree the project would enhance Washington, Bloomberg Law reported.
DOJ responds
“The Court has acknowledged that the National Park Service can limit access to its facilities where the public is at risk of harm,” a Justice Department spokesperson told CBS News. “Nothing in the Court’s order precludes planning for the development of a world class golf course to continue.”
Catherine Carroll, a senior legal adviser at Democracy Forward, which worked with the plaintiffs, said the group was grateful a court had “intervened to prevent irreparable harm,” according to CBS News.
The lawsuit was brought by the DC Preservation League and two Washington-area golfers, Bloomberg Law reported. The case escalated in October when the National Park Service cut down more than 500 trees on the course over a weekend, after which Reyes barred further tree removal, CBS News reported.
Reyes has also opened an inquiry into whether Justice Department and Interior Department lawyers made false statements or withheld information in the case, Bloomberg Law reported. The Justice Department has objected to her proposal to appoint a special master, according to Bloomberg Law.
Sources
- POLITICO on X
- CBS News: Federal judge blocks Trump from closing historic D.C. golf course, for now
- BBC News: Judge temporarily blocks Trump from closing Washington DC golf course for renovation
- Bloomberg Law: Judge Blocks Plans to Close DC Golf Course Targeted by Trump
Sources cited
Sources
- Original post: POLITICO (@politico) on X, Nov 14, 2026
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