Federal judge orders Trump administration to halt work for a day on historic D.C. golf course

Chopping down trees at East Potomac Golf Course in Washington will stop for a day under a ruling from U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, who accused the government of misleading her over the holiday weekend. The course is among the sites the Trump administration wants to reshape, and the ruling adds to a growing sense that executives and the courts no longer trust each other, according to the Associated Press, which also points to disputes over the White House ballroom and immigration enforcement, according to PBS NewsHour.

People suing to block the renovation received little warning before crews began felling trees on Saturday, and neither did the judge. Reyes, who had repeatedly refused the plaintiffs' requests to stop work because she gave officials the benefit of the doubt, spent roughly a quarter of an hour at the start of Monday's three-hour emergency session scolding government lawyers. She said she was "thoroughly unamused." The pause could grow to 14 days if needed.

Testimony from National Park Service operations official Frank Lands indicated that Interior Department deputy chief of staff Greg Wischer urged speedy action. Reyes wants to question Wischer at a hearing on Tuesday, and officials are searching for him.

Summarized by PolitiKool from PBS NewsHour’s reporting. Read the full story at PBS NewsHour →