Judge temporarily blocks Trump administration from closing DC's East Potomac golf course

A temporary block on the closure

On Saturday, 14 November 2026, US District Judge Ana C. Reyes issued a temporary order that keeps East Potomac Golf Links and the surrounding park open to the public. The administration had planned to shut the park and its golf course from Sunday, 15 November, for a renovation that Trump said would last 15 months. Reyes said Trump cannot close the park or its golf course, but added that his administration is not required to actively manage either. In a 30-page decision she called the administration's justifications pretextual and said the government had violated at least two federal laws "to meet an arbitrary deadline". The order stays in force until 28 November.

“The Government proposes to close a historic park, daily enjoyed by Washingtonians of all stripes, indefinitely.”

How the case reached this point

The legal challenge dates back to February 2026, when the DC Preservation League and others sued over the redevelopment plans for the park. The fight escalated in October, when the National Park Service began cutting down hundreds of trees after notifying the court only 15 hours before work was due to start. Reyes then ordered a halt to tree removal until at least 26 October and required three business days' notice of any other permanent changes. She also identified Jessie K. Liu, a former US attorney for the District of Columbia during Trump's first term, as a potential special master to examine whether government lawyers met their ethical obligations. The Justice Department objected, arguing that no ethics inquiry was warranted and that a special master could not be appointed without its consent. On Friday, 13 November, Reyes said the inquiry would proceed, either through a special master or under her own supervision.

The administration's position

The Justice Department said the November closure was for safety reasons and argued that the National Park Service may limit access where the public is at risk of harm. Officials also said golf operations cannot continue because the administration terminated the lease of the course operator. Reyes rejected that as a basis for closing the park. She wrote that the absence of a vendor cannot be used to justify closing a large swath of Hains Point park, and she called the Park Service's insistence that the park close as of Sunday irrational.

“The Government's hands are tied. But the Government tied the knot itself.”

A Justice Department spokesperson said the court's order does not stop planning for a new course.

“Nothing in the Court's order precludes planning for the development of a world class golf course to continue.”

Trump's response

Trump, an avid golfer, first publicly proposed taking over and expanding the municipal course in May, and was later seen touring the grounds with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and golf designer Tom Fazio. In October he announced the course would be renovated over 15 months, and he has described the 106-year-old course as the worst golf course anywhere in the world. On Saturday afternoon he posted a lengthy message on Truth Social that criticized Reyes and shared dozens of unflattering photos of the park, which he calls Trash Island. He argued the overhaul would draw tournaments such as the US Open and Ryder Cup, and promised a 50 percent discount on rates for Washington-area residents.

What comes next

The temporary order runs until 28 November, and the judge has not yet decided whether to appoint a special master for the ethics inquiry. She said she was prepared to conduct that review herself if needed. The park covers nearly 400 acres along the Potomac River, and the course sits 2 miles (3km) south of the White House. It is one of three public courses run by the National Park Service in the capital.