Judge Trump called a ‘lunatic’ abruptly backs off demand after showdown with DOJ No. 3

A federal judge who had been publicly attacked by President Donald Trump hours earlier dropped a contested demand on Monday, ending a nearly seven-hour hearing in a dispute over a Washington golf course. Judge Ana Reyes had wanted Justice Department lawyers to add their own names to a Sunday brief signed by Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. , invoking Rule 11, which holds attorneys responsible for the factual accuracy of what they submit and allows sanctions. Reyes withdrew the request, saying everyone had better uses for their time, according to Fox News.

The litigation, filed in February, concerns Trump's plan to rebuild East Potomac Golf Links into a course worthy of the U. S. Open. Tension rose this month after the National Park Service cleared about 430 trees over a single weekend. The Interior Department described the work as part of a long-standing effort to restore the course's historic layout, separate from Trump's proposal. Since nothing in the clearing breached a court order, Reyes's response, a temporary restraining order, went further than the law required of the agency. She was also described as screaming at government lawyers during an Oct. 12 hearing.

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