Judge Orders 24-Hour Halt on Tree Cutting at D.C. Golf Course

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes on Monday ordered a 24-hour halt to tree-cutting at East Potomac Golf Course after hundreds of trees were removed over the holiday weekend. Reuters reported approximately 500. The order followed a three-hour hearing and could extend to 14 days. The course opened in 1920 and is part of President Donald Trump's plans to remake the city. Reyes opened with a 15-minute statement saying she was thoroughly unamused, did not know how she could have made it plainer she did not want what happened to happen, had given the government every benefit of the doubt, and wanted them to be better than they had been. She ordered decision-makers brought in remotely. Kevin Griess cited a 2019 National Park Service Cultural Landscape Report. Frank Lands linked the work to Trump's 2025 order to make Washington safe and beautiful and said other D.C. courses in the report had no similar work discussed. Lands said Greg Wischer pushed for urgent work. Reyes and attorney Abbe Lowell questioned timeline and chain of command. An Oct. 9 government filing called redevelopment early and conceptual. The Washington Post reported design, budget, financing and closure plans unpublished. Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported the next hearing Oct. 19; FinChannel reported Tuesday. Reyes sought testimony from Wischer.