A federal judge temporarily blocked the U.S. government's plan to close a
historic Washington park and its golf course, finding President Trump lacking
authority to shut the site but noting the administration is not required to
perform day-to-day management. In a 30-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Anna
Reyes said the administration’s stated reasons were pretext and that the
proposed closure, advanced to meet an arbitrary deadline, violated at least two
federal laws. Reyes added the government sought an indefinite closure that would
run counter to public use of national park land. Trump had called the course a
"garbage island" and in October announced a 15-month renovation to make the site
publicly accessible and capable of hosting world-class events.
