Judge Clashes with DOJ Over Golf Course Trees Amid Trump Attacks

D.C. District Judge Ana Reyes clashed with government lawyers and questioned the motive behind the removal of more than 500 trees from the East Potomac golf course over Columbus Day weekend. The hearing on Monday involved testimony from Interior Department official Gregory Wischer and acting Director of the National Park Service Jessica Bowron, who were ordered to appear before Reyes.

Reyes expressed frustration, stating there appeared to be "a strong showing of bad faith" by the government. This occurred after the government had removed the trees despite her previous order for advance notice of any significant alterations to the course, which is currently the subject of litigation. The litigation was initiated by the D.C. Preservation League in response to President Donald Trump's plans to renovate the course to potentially host professional tournaments.

The government's justification for the tree removal centers on a 2019 Cultural Landscape Report that identified dead, dying, and hazardous trees. However, Reyes has questioned the credibility of this explanation, particularly as Trump has publicly discussed moving forward with renovations. Trump announced on social media that full-scale renovations of East Potomac were slated to begin on November 15, though Reyes' current order blocks any major construction.

The hearing began contentiously when Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, the Justice Department's third-ranking official, instructed his lawyers not to answer Reyes' questions about why they had not signed his recent legal briefs. Reyes responded by ordering Woodward to submit a brief by Monday afternoon explaining the legal basis for that instruction.

Earlier, Reyes rejected a motion from the Justice Department seeking her recusal from the case. Woodward had argued that Reyes harbored political bias against the Trump administration. In her response, Reyes stated, "It is easy to weaponize selective quotations to bring a baseless recusal motion... But it is much harder to meet the demanding legal standard against a full record."

A golfer walks past the stump of a large tree at the East Potomac Golf Links, Oct. 12, 2026, in Washington.