A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from closing East Potomac Park, preserving public access as a legal challenge over a presidential golf course overhaul proceeds.
The temporary restraining order issued by U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes stops the federal government from shutting down the municipal course and surrounding parkland. President Donald Trump had announced that the site would close to make way for a 15-month redevelopment project led by golf course architect Tom Fazio.
The administration argued that deteriorating infrastructure, including a damaged seawall and the end of the operating lease held by National Links Trust, necessitated an immediate closure.
A federal judge again expressed skepticism over President Trump’s plans to close East Potomac Park as soon as this weekend, part of his plan to expand and renovate a golf course at the expense of other uses. By @D_Hawk and @Justice_Covert_: https://t.co/eO1I6WlN8e
Reyes rejected those arguments during a six-hour hearing, finding that the stated safety justifications appeared pretextual. The judge pointed out that safety concerns had not been treated as an emergency for months, noting that more than 30,000 runners participated in a marathon around the park just days before the scheduled shutdown.
She questioned why the termination of the operator’s lease coincided precisely with the timeline the president had publicly targeted for renovations.
“The Government proposes to close a historic park, daily enjoyed by Washingtonians of all stripes, indefinitely. This closure would irreparably harm Plaintiffs, who use the Park regularly for recreational activities,” Reyes wrote in her 30-page ruling.
Lawsuit Challenges Redevelopment of Historic Public Golf Course
The lawsuit was filed in February by the DC Preservation League and two local golfers, who argued that transforming the historic public course into an 18-hole championship facility would alter its accessible character and make it unaffordable. “one of the Best and Most Spectacular Golf Courses anywhere in the World” is what Trump said in a social media post about the redesigned venue, which would host major tournaments like the U.S. Open and the Ryder Cup while offering Washington-area residents a 50 percent discount on rates.
From old pal @RickMaese, here's the definitive tale of how a popular muni in the nation's capital became part of the president's plan to transform our city. East Potomac might close this weekend. What will it be like when — if — it reopens? https://t.co/7lA1MM6l7o
The 106-year-old public golf course has long been a popular recreational spot situated two miles south of the White House near the Jefferson Memorial.
The administration’s push to redevelop the site along the Potomac River into a championship-level venue encountered previous friction last month when officials abruptly cut down trees on the course. That tree-felling occurred despite a request from the judge to receive advance notice of any plans for major tree removal.
NEW: East Potomac golf course and its surrounding park will not close Sunday as demanded by President Trump. A federal judge ruled the National Park Service sidestepped legal requirements to satisfy Trump's demand. w/ @joshgerstein https://t.co/j7jub0Uj3G pic.twitter.com/8wvjF0wHsR
Federal officials issued a notice stating they would solicit a contract for work on 20,700 linear feet of shoreline and seawall infrastructure. According to the National Park Service’s May 2026 East Potomac Park Condition Assessment, inspectors recorded 110 deficiencies at the golf course, with 69 rated as critical or urgent.
The assessment said that the seawall had settled and been compromised, leading to tidal overtopping, erosion, loss of fill material, and damaged sidewalks. A 2019 Historic Structure Report for the East Potomac Field House clubhouse documented basement wall cracks larger than one inch and labeled a foundation corner a critical concern.
Lawyers for the preservation group and the golfers argued that the administration engineered a situation where the course would lack an operator. National Links Trust had operated the three district golf courses on a temporary holdover basis after its lease expired.
On October 28, 2026, the National Park Service entered into a new lease with the trust for the Rock Creek Golf Course and the Langston Golf Course, while arranging for operations at East Potomac to cease by November 15.
BREAKING: Judge Reyes has blocked the Trump administration from closing East Potomac Park and East Potomac golf course but does not require active management of either. https://t.co/LIZ6LCK22Y pic.twitter.com/d1Px3eNlHH
“We are grateful that once again, a court has intervened to prevent irreparable harm caused by the Trump-Vance administration’s pursuit of another one of the president’s vanity projects,” said Catherine Carroll, a senior legal advisor at Democracy Forward.
“cannot use the absence of golf operations as a reason to exclude the public,” Reyes added, noting that while the court order keeps the park open, the administration is not required to actively manage golf operations at the site while litigation continues.
Ethics Inquiry Into Government Lawyers
Alongside the park closure dispute, Reyes moved forward with an inquiry into the conduct of administration lawyers. The judge indicated she intends to investigate whether Department of Justice and Interior Department counsel met ethical obligations regarding court-noticed tree-felling operations at the golf course.
The temporary restraining order remains in effect through November 28, 2026, or until further order from the court.