A federal judge excoriated the Trump administration Monday after hundreds of trees were cut down at a historic Washington, D.C., golf course over the holiday weekend, accusing government lawyers of ignoring her warnings and destroying their credibility with the court.
“I am thoroughly unamused right now,” U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes said during an emergency hearing over the removal of trees at East Potomac Golf Links, a public course President Donald Trump wants to transform into a championship-level venue.
Government lawyers acknowledged that approximately 430 trees had been removed Saturday, with another 299 slated for removal.
Reyes had repeatedly instructed the government to notify the court and preservationists before undertaking significant work at the course. Instead, officials filed notice at 4:55 p.m. Friday, shortly before the holiday weekend, and began cutting trees early Saturday.
“I trusted you all not to do precisely what you have done,” Reyes told government lawyers. “On what universe did anyone in your offices think that that was acceptable?”
When Justice Department attorney Marissa Piropato said government lawyers had done their best to provide notice, Reyes fired back: “You did your absolute worst.”
The judge temporarily halted further tree removal until at least Tuesday afternoon, warning that violating her order could trigger contempt proceedings.
The National Park Service maintained that the work was part of a restoration plan dating to 2019, before Trump’s proposed redevelopment. Officials said the project would restore the course’s original landscape and improve safety.
But a Park Service official testified Monday that none of the trees removed Saturday had been identified as hazardous. Two officials also acknowledged there was no urgency to the work, according to the Post.
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Preservationists suing the administration argue that the tree removal is part of a larger effort to remake the century-old public course without completing required environmental and historic-preservation reviews.
Reyes said she would reconvene the hearing Tuesday to question additional Interior Department officials about why the work proceeded over the holiday weekend.
“I have no faith that the government isn’t going to cut them down unless there’s an order in place not to do so,” she said.
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