Judge Backs Down in Dispute with Trump Over Golf Course Tree Removal
A federal judge rescinded a demand that Justice Department attorneys sign a filing after former President Trump publicly criticized her.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes on Monday withdrew a demand that Justice Department attorneys individually sign a court filing related to the renovation of the East Potomac Golf Links, ending a nearly seven-hour hearing that saw sharp exchanges between the court and the Trump administration.
Reyes had invoked Rule 11, which requires attorneys to attest to the factual basis of their filings and can lead to sanctions, demanding that the filing be resubmitted with the names of the attorneys who prepared it. The judge's about-face came after former President Donald Trump, on his Truth Social platform, called Reyes a "crazed lunatic" and questioned her mental state, also stating that the Trump administration had a "right" to renovate the course.
The dispute centers on Trump's plans to transform the East Potomac Golf Links into a "world-class, U.S. Open-caliber course." Earlier this month, the National Park Service removed approximately 430 trees from the course, which the Interior Department stated was part of a long-standing plan to restore the course's historic design and unrelated to Trump's proposed overhaul.
The tree removals prompted Reyes to issue a temporary restraining order barring further removals and to express strong objections during a hearing on October 12, where she was described as "screaming" at the administration's attorneys. This led Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. to seek Reyes' recusal from the case, citing bias and "open hostility" toward the Trump administration.
Trump had publicly stated on Sunday that Interior Department Secretary Doug Burgum and architect Tom Fazio had developed a plan to revamp the golf course, with work scheduled to begin November 15. This statement, made via social media, conflicted with a previous filing from the Justice Department stating "no agency action" related to Trump's plan. The judge set an 8 p.m. filing deadline for the Justice Department to reconcile these statements.
When only Woodward signed the filing, Reyes invoked Rule 11 and initially ordered the attorneys to appear and sign it. She later extended the deadline and offered to allow their names to appear on the brief instead of requiring signatures, before ultimately abandoning the demand entirely.
Reyes, appointed by President Joe Biden in 2023, has previously been the subject of a judicial misconduct complaint. That complaint, filed by the Trump administration's former DOJ Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle, stemmed from Reyes' handling of litigation challenging Trump's restrictions on transgender individuals serving in the military. The complaint was dismissed, with the D.C. Circuit's chief judge suggesting a recusal motion was the appropriate venue to challenge her conduct.
Trump has also expressed interest in renovating the golf courses at Joint Base Andrews, announcing that golf legend Jack Nicklaus would lead the redesign of these facilities, describing the current courses as "really bad."