Trump Golf Course Hearing: Judge Grills DOJ Lawyers
The Trump golf course hearing turned into a tense, hours-long courtroom showdown on Monday as federal Judge Ana C. Reyes demanded answers about the administration’s plan to overhaul the historic East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, D.C.
Only days earlier, Reyes had temporarily blocked the government from moving ahead with the project. The hearing came hours after President Donald Trump attacked the judge on Truth Social, calling her a “crazed lunatic” and suggesting she might be “insane,” while declaring that renovation work would start “IMMEDIATELY!”
A Clash Over Conflicting Claims
The confrontation centered on a contradiction. Administration lawyers had previously told the court that renovating the links was still only in its conceptual stage. But on Sunday, Trump posted detailed plans for the project, writing that Interior Secretary Doug Burgum “has developed a plan to build a World Class Championship Golf Course” and that the park would close on Nov. 15.
“Do I believe the president of the United States or do I believe you?” Reyes asked the government attorneys, questioning who was responsible for misleading the court. At one point, she pressed Justice Department lawyer Robert Stander on how to square his argument that the plans are not final with Trump’s announcement that renovation would start immediately. Stander replied that the president’s post was “true with a caveat, that the plan is not final.”
Reyes also called witnesses to the stand: Greg Wischer, deputy chief of staff at the Department of the Interior, and Jessica Bowron, acting director of the National Park Service. Both said the plans for the course had not been finalized, despite Trump’s posts.
Background of the Legal Fight
The battle over the course has been building for months. In February, a D.C. preservation group and two individuals challenged the U.S. Department of Interior and the National Park Service over the planned renovations, arguing the makeover would inflate tee-time costs at a facility meant to be open to all.
The dispute escalated after federal officials removed more than 400 trees from the property on Oct. 10. Reyes responded by halting all work until Oct. 26. She also ordered the administration to preserve evidence potentially relevant to the case.
The hearing, which spanned more than seven hours, ended without a decision. The Justice Department’s bid to remove Reyes from the case had already failed, and she has continued to push for clarity about what the administration intends to do with one of the capital’s most storied public courses.
Source: USA Today