Judge rips into Trump officials over tree removals at East Potomac golf course
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The scene on Saturday. Photo: Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images
A "furious" federal judge berated Trump officials on Monday after roughly 500 trees were abruptly cut down at the East Potomac Park golf course.
Why it matters: The tree removals have intensified a legal battle over President Trump's effort to turn a municipal golf course into a PGA-level attraction.
State of play: Golfers spotted crews demolishing trees on Saturday. By Monday, the removals had become the subject of a four-hour court hearing.
- U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes accused Justice Department lawyers of breaking an understanding that major renovation would wait until the court had time to review the plans.
- The tree-cutting "has cost the government all of its credibility," Reyes said.
The scene: Reyes summoned National Park Service officials to explain the removals, Politico reported.
- Finger-pointing ensued. Frank Lands, a top NPS official, joined virtually from a parking lot, testifying he took his direction from a superior at the Interior Department.
- A lower-ranked official testified that the cuttings — performed by both a contractor and parks employees in D.C. for America 250 events — were not tied to Trump's renovation, but a 2019 plan to restore the site to its original landscaping.
- A DOJ lawyer said it was "not a renovation," which Judge Reyes said is a "preposterous" thing to say, "completely beyond the pale."
Context: The tree removals came after NPS informed the court last Tuesday of upcoming maintenance — "tree pruning; removal of dead, dying, hazardous or invasive trees" — and said Trump's renovation plans were still in a "conceptual stage."
- NPS didn't notify the court of plans to whack hundreds of trees until 4:55pm on Friday.
Zoom out: The episode is fueling criticism that the White House is sidestepping legal scrutiny as it reshapes D.C.
- "'Pulling a fast one has become the model this administration uses to circumvent the laws intended to protect the environment and D.C. landmarks," said Washington power lawyer Abbe Lowell, who's representing the D.C. Preservation League as it fights the golf course plan.
What's ahead: Reyes ordered a pause on tree removals until Tuesday, and said she'd extend the block until Interior's deputy chief of staff, Gregory Wischer, provides testimony.