A federal judge has cautioned the Trump administration over its controversial plans to overhaul a historic Washington DC golf course, as new data revealed that rubble from the demolished White House East Wing, dumped at the site, contains toxic metals. The ruling came during an emergency hearing on Monday, where District Court Judge Ana Reyes likened the situation to an episode of the television comedy Parks and Recreation.
Judge’s Warning and Comparison to TV Show
Judge Ana Reyes, presiding over the case, drew a parallel to the hit show Parks and Recreation, stating, “I’m no Amy Poehler,” referring to the actress who played a character blindly supportive of government initiatives. Reyes allowed maintenance work to continue at the East Potomac golf links, a public course, but warned of “serious consequences” if the administration rushed its redevelopment plans.
Plans for Revamp and Fundraising Document
The Washington Post reported on Saturday that it had obtained a fundraising document outlining Trump’s intention to “dramatically remake parts of Washington’s waterfront,” including creating an exclusive championship course and building a “national garden of American heroes.” During the hearing, Kevin Griess, superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks for the National Park Service (NPS), stated that no major renovation was planned for the coming days, contrary to a report from the news website Notus that claimed the course would close after Sunday’s final tee time. However, Griess acknowledged that a “safety assessment” was underway.
Conditions Set by the Court
Reyes cautioned the government that it must provide reasonable notice if it plans to close the course, cut down more than 10 trees, or bring in construction equipment. “Let’s just say, given some issues around the District recently, I would have a particular concern that we not act first and ask forgiveness later,” she said, according to the Post. “Because that’s not going to be acceptable, and I want you to make sure that that’s fully communicated. If anything like that happens, there are going to be serious consequences.”
Toxic Metals in Rubble
The judge’s comments referenced other recent construction initiatives by the Trump administration, including the demolition of the White House East Wing in October to make way for a new $400 million ballroom. Rubble from that project, dumped at the East Potomac course, tested positive for lead, chromium, and other toxic metals, the Post reported Monday, citing soil data “above laboratory reporting limits” published by the NPS. The toxic soil story was first reported in January by the podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out, which won a Pulitzer Prize on Monday for reporting on another topic.
Background of the Dispute
Monday’s hearing marked the latest development in a battle over the future of East Potomac, one of three municipal courses in Washington DC. Trump seized control in December by terminating a 50-year lease held by the non-profit National Links Trust, which denied claims that it had allowed the links to deteriorate. In December, the president confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that he aimed to transform the courses, saying, “If we do them, we’ll do it really beautifully.”
Redevelopment Plans Long in the Making
Tom Fazio, who has designed four Trump courses, visited the East Potomac site under an alias in late 2025, Golf Digest reported, suggesting that redevelopment plans were already in place long before the lease was terminated. Reyes appeared to agree during the remote hearing, stating, “Something is happening. I don’t know what it is. I trust that you don’t know what it is. [But] when you have a pledge going out with pictures, asking people for money, we’re pretty far down the road, OK? So I think there’s been more happening. I think it’s been further along than has been identified in the pleadings to date.”
Preservation League’s Legal Action
The DC Preservation League first sued in February and made an emergency application for a temporary restraining order on Saturday after reports of East Potomac’s imminent closure. “This is supposed to be open to the public and accessible to the public of every different background, and we wanted to keep it that way,” the league’s executive director, Rebecca Miller, told CBS News. Miller also challenged the NPS position that soil sampling from the East Wing rubble had been misinterpreted. “In an earlier filing on the ballroom, they contended that one of the reasons they had to demolish the East Wing was because it was full of contaminants, and now they’re saying, ‘Well, there’s no contaminants,’ or, ‘Nothing to see here,’” she said. “This is something that’s used by the public and children and could be really hazardous.”
The Guardian has contacted the White House, the NPS, and the Department of the Interior for comment.
