Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump administration from closing East Potomac Park

This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. End of dialog window. A federal judge barred the Trump administration Saturday from closing East Potomac Park this weekend, ruling the closure could not go forward for at least another two weeks. It’s a setback for President Trump, who said the park would close on Sunday so construction of an 18-hole, championship-length golf course designed by architect Tom Fazio could begin. U. S. District Judge Ana Reyes ruled the park “shall remain open and accessible to the public” except for “routine, temporary closures” that may be needed to address imminent threats to public safety. “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 a 30-page ruling. “It runs counter to the public interest in utilizing national parkland.” “And the Government has not plausibly identified any harm it would suffer from a temporary restraining order that preserves the status quo pending further proceedings,” the judge added. It expands an earlier ruling in which the judge blocked the administration from further cutting trees on the park grounds after it abruptly chopped hundreds in October. She allowed safety-related work to continue — but only with advance notice. The decision followed an hours-long hearing Friday, in which Reyes seemed skeptical of the Justice Department’s (DOJ) rationale for suddenly closing East Potomac Park and Hains Point, repeatedly pressing lawyers on the urgency. A top lawyer for the DOJ’s Energy and Natural Resources Division told the judge the closure was needed to address safety hazards — including a damaged seawall that causes regular flooding — and because the nonprofit that ran the courses, the National Links Trust (NLT), is ceasing operation control Sunday. But Reyes noted the deteriorating condition of the seawall had been documented for more than a decade and called the lack of an operator “self-inflicted” since the Trump administration terminated the lease with NLT last year. The ruling is a temporary win for a preservationist group and two local golfers who have sued to stop the project. They argue the safety rationale is a pretext to move forward with Trump’s preferred vision for a golf course that can host major professional tournaments. “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. “The administration’s inexplicable drive to destroy East Potomac Park would have taken away a treasured park that could never be replaced, and we are honored to work with this coalition to secure this temporary relief.” Critics claim the proposed design, which would stretch more than 8,000 yards from the back tees, could reduce accessibility for beginner and casual golfers who have long been able to play at East Potomac Park at an affordable price. The park’s future has been unsettled for months, and with NLT’s lease ending, it is unclear how the course will continue to operate under Reyes’ order. “It does not order the Government to undertake any active management of either,” the judge wrote, clarifying the court’s order related to the park and golf course. Updated at 9:11 p.m. EST. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.