WASHINGTON (7News) — President Donald Trump is vowing to move forward immediately with plans to renovate East Potomac Golf Links, despite a court order temporarily blocking redevelopment work, as a contentious hearing Monday exposed conflicting accounts between the president and his own administration.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes spent more than five hours questioning government officials and Justice Department attorneys about the plans for the historic public golf course, including the recent removal of more than 400 trees.
The hearing ended without a new ruling. Reyes is considering whether to extend restrictions on the project, which has been challenged by the D.C. Preservation League and two golfers.
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Trump announced Sunday that the course would close for 15 months beginning Nov. 15 to accommodate the renovation. In a Truth Social post Monday, he went further, declaring construction would begin “IMMEDIATELY.”
“The United States Department of Interior wants to take a terrible and very unsafe golf course, and make it into a great, safe, and prestigious golf course,” Trump wrote. “They have an absolute right to do so. It’s as simple as that!”
Trump also attacked Reyes, calling her a “crazed lunatic” and questioning her mental state. He argued the government did not need approval to proceed with what he described as a “First Class renovation.”
The president’s statements came as the administration continued to argue in court that its plans were not final and that the recent tree removals were unrelated to the proposed overhaul.
Reyes pressed government attorneys on the apparent contradiction, questioning how Trump could publicly announce an immediate start to construction while administration lawyers maintained there was no final plan.
“I have, on the one hand, the president of the United States saying to the American people there is a final plan,” Reyes said during the hearing. “I have you all telling me, witnesses saying what they’re saying, there is no final plan which is it?”
The judge previously ordered the administration to halt further tree removal through Oct. 26 and to provide at least three days’ notice before making any irreversible modifications to the course.
The Justice Department also sought to have Reyes removed from the case, accusing her of bias against the Trump administration. Reyes rejected that request, saying the government had not met the legal standard for her recusal.
Norm Eisen of Democracy Defenders, who opposes the proposed overhaul, said the goal should be to preserve public access to the course while necessary repairs are completed.
“DC doesn’t want that. We want the original plan. We want the course and the park to be playable while those repairs are made, not this,” Eisen said.
Opponents argue the proposed redevelopment could fundamentally change a historic public space and threaten its accessibility and affordability. They have also raised concerns about compliance with federal preservation and environmental laws.
The administration has defended the tree removal as an effort to implement recommendations in a 2019 National Park Service landscape report, rather than a step toward Trump’s proposed redesign. Reyes questioned why officials moved to implement those recommendations now, as the president was pushing for a renovation.
The golf course project is part of Trump’s broader effort to reshape the nation’s capital, which includes plans for a White House ballroom, a helipad, upgrades to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and a proposed triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery.
For now, the existing court restrictions remain in place as the legal fight over East Potomac Golf Links continues.