Donald Trump’s social media posts regarding the renovation of East Potomac Golf Course in Washington, D.C., have led to questions for lawyers from the Justice Department about the credibility of the sitting president.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes instructed the department to confirm whether there are plans to close the golf course around 15 November 2026. She has summoned Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. to a court hearing scheduled for Friday or Monday.
Reyes’ order followed Trump’s late Monday post that condemned her recent temporary injunction halting work at the golf course. The injunction was prompted by Trump’s prior announcements on social media, claiming construction was set to begin the following month and that the course would be shut for 15 months. He later revised the timeline to “immediately”.
Reyes remarked, “Rarely, if ever, has the United States Department of Justice urged a federal court not to believe the sitting president… Not to believe what the president has repeatedly told the American public.”
The current injunction prevents the government from removing or damaging additional trees on the golf course. The government must provide ten days’ written notice before making any “irreparable modification” to the course while the lawsuit is active.
Opponents of the project, including the DC Preservation League and two golfers, argue it is causing irreversible damage. Critics claim Trump’s plans will render the course unaffordable for the general public and compromise its other uses. During a recent hearing, Reyes reprimanded the government for cutting down at least 400 trees over a holiday weekend without adequate notice. A subsequent hearing on 19 October featured tense exchanges, with Woodward attempting to shield a Justice Department lawyer when Reyes questioned whose account she could believe.
Woodward said, “It’s difficult to put my colleague, a non-Senate-confirmed DOJ employee, in a position of contradicting the president.”
The renovation is part of Trump’s broader effort to leave a personal legacy on Washington’s historic sites, which also includes plans for a large ballroom at the White House, a massive arch, and a National Garden of American Heroes in West Potomac Park. The DC Preservation League is among a coalition of groups challenging these developments.
Judges have issued injunctions and restraining orders in various cases due to the Trump administration’s pursuit of projects despite ongoing litigation. The Justice Department has not yet responded to requests for comment.
