US judge again blocks Trump’s makeover plan for DC golf course

A federal judge in Washington has ruled against President Donald Trump's plan to convert East Potomac Park into a championship-level golf course. The decision, issued by US District Judge Ana Reyes, temporarily blocks the government from moving forward with the project. The park, near the Jefferson Memorial and 3 kilometers south of the White House, is currently open to the public, enjoying daily use by Washingtonians of all backgrounds.

The proposed transformation would close the park for 15 months to create a 18-hole championship course that Trump claims could host major international events. However, Judge Reyes stated that the administration's reasons for the closure are pretextual and that the government violated federal laws to meet an arbitrary deadline. While the park must remain open, the Trump administration no longer has to maintain golf operations at the site, but cannot exclude the public from the area based on the absence of golf operations.

The ruling is part of a series of setbacks for Trump's efforts to redesign Washington through major construction projects, as brought to light by the DC Preservation League. The group's lawyers had won an earlier ruling from Judge Reyes that prevented the National Park Service from making irreversible changes to the park without advance notice.

The Interior Department, Justice Department, and the White House have not yet commented on the latest decision.