A federal judge on Saturday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from closing East Potomac Park and its public golf course in Washington, D.C., one day before the course was scheduled to shut down for about 15 months for a planned redevelopment.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes issued a two-week temporary restraining order in a lawsuit brought by the D.C. Preservation League and two local golfers. The order came as the administration was preparing to close East Potomac Golf Links on Sunday, Nov. 15, according to FOX 5 DC and NBC Washington.
What the order does
The order bars the government from closing the park and golf course during the hours they were open on Saturday, FOX 5 DC reported. It does not require the government to manage either site, and it still allows repairs, subject to notice rules in an earlier court order.
The restraining order lasts two weeks. Neither outlet reported a date for the next hearing.
The plan at the center of the case
President Trump wants to turn the 106-year-old course, about two miles from the White House, into a championship-level venue as part of what NBC Washington described as the Washington National plan. The National Park Service awarded contracts for the work in September. In October, Trump said the overhaul would begin immediately, and the Justice Department later announced the course would close Nov. 15.
East Potomac Park includes three golf courses, a miniature golf course, bike lanes and other recreation areas, according to both outlets.
What each side says
The plaintiffs. The D.C. Preservation League and the two golfers, represented by the group Democracy Forward, filed suit in February. They argue the redevelopment would change the character of an accessible public course and make it unaffordable, and that closing it and starting work would “irreparably injure plaintiffs and the public interest,” NBC Washington reported.
The administration. Justice Department lawyer Adam Gustafson argued that the park was closing for public safety reasons and that the government’s lease with the current course operator, National Links Trust, ends Sunday. The Justice Department also said the order does not stop planning for what it called a world-class golf course, FOX 5 DC reported.
The president. Trump has called the course “the worst golf course anywhere in the world,” according to FOX 5 DC. On social media, he criticized the judge and argued the fairways are too close together and the course is dangerous. He has said the renovated course could host major events such as the U.S. Open and the Ryder Cup, and that D.C.-area residents would get a 50% discount on rates. Trump denies that the project would make the course unaffordable.
The judge’s reasoning
Reyes said safety had not been part of the closure discussion for months and suggested the lease expiration looked more like a justification than a cause, NBC Washington reported. She also pointed to Trump’s social media posts as signs that the redevelopment plan was final, FOX 5 DC reported.
The case has been contentious. The Justice Department has asked Reyes, a Biden appointee, to step aside, questioning her impartiality; she has not done so. Reyes also said she plans to appoint Jessie Liu, a former U.S. attorney for D.C., to examine whether Interior Department, Park Service and Justice Department officials violated ethics rules or misled the court. Gustafson asked her to reconsider that step, according to NBC Washington.
The ruling was among the overnight headlines in the Associated Press news summary early Sunday. It is one of several Trump building projects in the capital now facing legal or planning fights, including a proposed memorial arch, NBC Washington reported. For more on other court cases involving the administration, see our report on the Supreme Court letting Big Bend border wall work resume.
Why it matters for families
East Potomac Park is a public space where families can play golf, try mini golf or ride bikes, and the plaintiffs describe its course as accessible to everyday golfers. The case will help decide whether the public can keep using the park while the larger legal fight over the redevelopment continues.
What to watch next
- Whether the park and course stay open Sunday and in the days ahead under the order.
- Whether the administration appeals or the judge extends the order before it expires in two weeks.
- Any outside ethics review led by Jessie Liu.
Upstormed News will follow the case.
Read more: Supreme Court Agrees to Decide Whether Trump’s Border Asylum Ban Is Legal
Should historic public parks be renovated into top-tier venues if it means closing them for a year or more?
Sources: FOX 5 DC, “Judge issues temporary block against Trump on Washington public golf course redevelopment” (November 14, 2026); NBC Washington, “Judge blocks Trump from moving ahead on East Potomac Golf Links redevelopment” (November 14, 2026); Associated Press via The Daily Item, “AP News Summary at 4:59 a.m. EST” (November 15, 2026)
Leave a Reply