Trump rebuked by judge who cites Dr. Seuss in DC golf course ruling: ‘Just ask the Lorax’

A federal judge in Washington has halted tree removal at a public golf course the Trump administration plans to rebuild, finding the government moved faster and with less notice than it had promised. District Judge Ana C. Reyes issued the order Tuesday after more than 400 trees came down over a weekend, and she opened a footnote with a nod to Dr. Seuss and the Lorax, according to The Independent.

The D. C. Preservation League and two local residents sued to stop the Washington National plan, which would turn East Potomac Golf Course into what Donald Trump calls one of the world's greatest courses. Officials had said no irreversible step would come before a legal and environmental review. Yet late on a Friday, the administration announced it would clear hundreds of trees, and crews began the next day.

Reyes wrote that the work shifted from culling hazardous or invasive trees to felling healthy ones, and that the timing reflected the president's wish for speed, not a long-standing plan. Kevin Griess, who oversees National Mall and Memorial Parks, told the court he knew of no urgency to keep cutting. Rebecca Miller of the preservation league said the government had evaded the courts.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Independent’s reporting. Read the full story at The Independent →