Judge Orders Justice Department to Clarify Whether East Potomac Golf Course Closure Is Planned

On Tuesday, October 27, 2026, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes ordered the Justice Department to clarify "whether any plan exists to close East Potomac Golf Course on or around November 15, 2026." She directed Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. to appear at a status hearing on Friday or Monday. The order responded to a social media post by President Donald Trump, published late Monday, that criticized Reyes' temporary injunction halting work at East Potomac Park.

The injunction bars the government from removing or damaging any more trees on the course. It also requires 10 days' written notice before any "irreparable modification" to its forms or features while the lawsuit is active. The plaintiffs, the DC Preservation League and two golfers, say the work is causing irreversible damage. Reyes said the injunction rested largely on Trump's earlier public statements that plans were complete and construction would begin next month.

According to the report, Trump said the course would be closed for 15 months, then the following day set the timetable to "immediately." At an earlier hearing, Reyes criticized the government after at least 400 trees were cut down over a holiday weekend with little notice to the plaintiffs. At an October 19 hearing, Woodward said it was "difficult to put my colleague... in a position of contradicting the president" when the judge asked whom she should believe.

The renovation is part of wider projects in Washington that include a White House ballroom, a large arch and a National Garden of American Heroes in West Potomac Park. Several courts have already issued injunctions or restraining orders against work tied to these plans while lawsuits are pending.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It remains unclear what the department will tell the court on Friday or Monday, or whether a closure plan for November 15 exists.