Judge Blocks Trump Team From Cutting More Trees at DC Golf Course

A federal judge on Tuesday extended an order barring the Trump administration from cutting down any more trees at a public golf course in Washington, D.C., through Oct. 26, according to NBC News.

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes issued the directive a day after an emergency hearing. She accused government lawyers of deception over the removal of more than 400 trees at the East Potomac Golf Links, NBC News reported.

What did the judge order?

Reyes wrote on the court docket that "Defendants may not fell any further trees on the East Potomac Golf Course through Monday, October 26," per NBC News. The order pauses all tree-cutting at the site for roughly two weeks.

Why did the judge say she was misled?

Reyes had earlier denied a request to block the work after Justice Department lawyers assured her they would give advance notice before any large-scale tree removal, NBC News reported. That assurance came apart on Friday. Department attorneys filed papers shortly before 5 p.m. saying the National Park Service would remove roughly 500 trees from the course over the holiday weekend.

Work began Saturday morning. At Monday's hearing, Reyes told government lawyers she was "furious," according to NBC News. "I was hearing from everyone on plaintiffs' side this was going to happen. I said repeatedly, 'No, I trust the government.' I trusted you all not to do precisely what you have done," she said. She added that "what has happened has cost the government all of its credibility."

How many trees were cut down before the order?

Superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks Kevin Griess testified Monday that crews knocked down 430 trees before the judge's intervention, NBC News reported. Griess said workers had identified roughly 300 more trees still slated for removal but could not continue Sunday because of weather.

What is the underlying lawsuit about?

The case stems from a lawsuit filed by a preservation group and two D.C. residents challenging Trump's plans to redo the public golf course, according to NBC News. Reyes is overseeing the dispute. Earlier this year she declined to issue a restraining order after the administration's lawyers pledged advance notice of major work at the site — the same pledge she said was broken over the weekend.

What happens next?

The order keeps the remaining roughly 300 trees standing at least through Oct. 26, based on Griess's court testimony as reported by NBC News. The litigation over the broader renovation plan continues before Reyes. NBC News has not reported a date for the next hearing or a ruling on the merits of the preservation group's challenge.

HTT News will update this report as the court case develops.

For a Bay Area-baked gift, Stirred, Not Shaken ships in the U.S.