Trump’s D.C. golf makeover hits judicial sand trap — after more than 400 trees get the ax

THE DAILY BS: HOW MUCH CAN YOU HANDLE?

SPARE ME THE BS (I’ve got things to do).

A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction restricting further tree removal and changes at Washington’s East Potomac Golf Course.
The ruling follows the reported removal of roughly 430 trees during the administration’s effort to renovate the historic public facility.
Judge Ana Reyes invoked Dr. Seuss’s Lorax, saying she speaks for the rule of law, not the trees.

LAY IT ON ME (I’ve got time).

President Donald Trump’s Washington golf-course makeover has encountered an unusual obstacle: a federal judge who says she is not the Lorax.

But judging by her latest order, she isn’t prepared to let the administration keep chopping down trees without satisfying the court.

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes issued a preliminary injunction Monday restricting further tree removal and other changes at East Potomac Golf Course, a historic public facility near the heart of Washington.

The order follows the government’s reported removal of roughly 430 trees in a single day earlier this month. That’s not exactly trimming the hedges before the weekend foursome arrives.

Trump wants to transform the property into a championship-caliber golf course, part of his broader push to renovate prominent public spaces in the capital.

Supporters say the project would improve a facility needing attention. Opponents contend the administration is moving ahead without adequate environmental and historic-preservation review.

And once hundreds of trees have become sawdust, it’s rather hard to put them back while the lawyers argue. That helps explain why the judge has intervened.

Her preliminary injunction prohibits further tree removal or damage while litigation continues and requires advance notice before certain irreversible changes.

The administration argues that the removal was part of restoring the course’s historic links-style landscape, not the start of Trump’s larger renovation. Reyes has questioned that explanation, including its timing.

Then came Dr. Seuss: “The Court earlier stated, ‘I am not the Lorax. I do not speak for the trees,'” Reyes wrote. “The Court still does not speak for the trees. It speaks only for the rule of law.”

Washington has reached the point where the administration and a federal judge are arguing over golf-course landscaping with assistance from a children’s book character.

Trump criticized Reyes, calling her a ‘crazed lunatic.’ Administration attorneys challenged her impartiality and sought her recusal. She rejected that request.

The dispute is part of a larger clash over Trump’s plans to reshape Washington’s public properties. The administration wants dramatic action; plaintiffs argue legal review cannot be brushed aside for a presidential vision.

The injunction isn’t a final ruling on every aspect of the renovation, but it restricts further work while litigation proceeds.