A judge blocks the closure of a park in Washington for Trump’s golf project

A federal judge in Washington has ruled that East Potomac Park must remain open, temporarily blocking the Donald Trump administration’s plan to close the area for redevelopment work. The park, located near the Jefferson Memorial, was scheduled to close for 15 months to transform its golf facilities into a championship course.

District Judge Ana Reyes found that the administration’s arguments for closing the park were “pretexts” and that the government had violated at least two federal laws in order to meet a deadline deemed arbitrary. The court said that an indefinite closure would deprive Washington residents of a historic public space.

The ruling does not require the administration to maintain golfing activities, but it prohibits using their suspension as a reason to exclude the public. The decision was issued in a lawsuit filed by the DC Preservation League, an organization challenging the project’s legality and seeking to protect the park from irreversible changes.

Trump publicly criticized the ruling and said the course is in poor and unsafe condition. He announced that the administration would try to appeal the decision. The project calls for replacing the three existing courses, which have 36 holes, with a single 18-hole championship course intended to host international competitions as well.