President Donald Trump on Wednesday evening condemned U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes after she extended a preliminary injunction that stops tree removal at the East Potomac golf course in Washington, D.C., a site the administration aims to upgrade to a championship-level facility.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that his administration will hold Reyes "fully responsible for anybody who is hurt, or killed, on this very dangerous, dilapidated, and unsightly Golf Course."
The judge issued the injunction earlier this month and criticized the administration's lawyers for not giving sufficient notice before cutting down more than 400 trees in East Potomac Park.
During an emergency hearing on Oct. 12, Reyes said, "I trusted you all not to do precisely what you have done," adding that the government had lost "all of its credibility" in the case.
Under the order, the administration may not cut, alter or damage additional trees on the property, except for public-safety reasons, and must give a 10-day notice before closing the course or making any "irreversible" design changes.
Reyes also scheduled a new hearing after Trump pledged to move forward with the project despite the rulings.
The park contains three golf courses, including an affordable 18-hole public course that sees tens of thousands of players each week, and it is a popular spot for runners, cyclists and picnickers.
In his later Wednesday post, Trump shared photos of torn protective netting, yellowed grass and animal waste on the course, calling the conditions "highly dangerous, dilapidated, and absolutely disgusting."
He added, "The driving range should provide Golfers with stunning views of the Washington Monument, not of a barren, debris-riden wasteland. The driving range should NOT be a threat to life and limb."
Trump labeled the situation a "National Disgrace" and promised to transform the park into a "WORLD CLASS PUBLIC Golf Course that is AFFORDABLE for locals."
