A Biden-appointed federal judge erupted at Department of Justice lawyers during an emergency hearing over the rapid removal of hundreds of trees from East Potomac Golf Links. Judge Ana Reyes confronted government attorneys over the administration's late notification of the operation, which took place on national parkland in Washington, D.C.
Reyes, who was nominated by President Joseph Biden in 2023 and born in Uruguay, questioned why the government waited until the end of the workweek to alert the court. According to live courtroom reporting by journalist Scott MacFarlane, Reyes stated that plaintiffs and she received minimal notice at 4:55 p.m. on a Friday during a holiday weekend that hundreds of trees would be chopped down.
Government counsel acknowledged that approximately 430 trees had already been cut down. When a lawyer stated that officials learned of the operation on Oct. 8 or 9 and were awaiting details, Reyes demanded to know if they had email or a cell phone. MacFarlane described Reyes as screaming at administration attorneys and noted he had never previously heard a judge speak to a lawyer at full voice. The UK Independent reported that Reyes excoriated federal counsel for about 15 minutes.
The administration maintains that the removals implement a 2019 National Park Service landscape-restoration plan. This predates President Donald Trump's proposal to transform the historic public facility into a championship-caliber golf course, similar to his courses in the U.S., Ireland, and Scotland. The links are located on an island connected to the city by the Jefferson Memorial and Francis Case Bridge at its western edge.
This incident marks another courtroom collision between the administration and its political opponents. Reyes previously drew a formal misconduct complaint from Trump's Justice Department for alleged bias. In a separate matter, she grilled a Trump administration attorney about his religious beliefs during litigation challenging restrictions on transgender military service. Then-DOJ Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle filed a complaint noting Reyes questioned how Jesus Christ would respond to telling people they were too worthless to enter homeless shelters. According to the Washington Post, Reyes called an order in that case biologically inaccurate.
In a 2025 case, Reyes ruled that Trump violated federal notice requirements when he fired several inspectors general but declined to reinstate them, according to Reuters. The current dispute involves preservationists and progressive interests challenging the administration's actions. Former Obama ethics lawyer Norm Eisen, who leads the Democracy Defenders Fund, tweeted a victory lap after the court agreed to hear the case in an emergency setting. Preservationists contended that the government failed to meet necessary environmental and heritage conservation standards, a position the administration rejected.