DOJ Acknowledges East Potomac Closure Orders
DOJ now says President Trump twice ordered East Potomac closed, prompting a new hearing.
October 28, 2026 · Updated Oct 28, 6:58pm ET
Raw StoryTrump DOJ busted contradicting itself on golf course closure in front of judge
The Washington SunJustice Department Appeals Judge’s Ban on Tree-Cutting at East Potomac Golf Course
Just the NewsJudge orders new hearing in dispute over Trump's DC golf course project
AlterNetIt's not about golf: Trump's latest defiance exposes an 'extraordinary' assault
UPIJudge calls hearing on Trump claim to push ahead with golf course changes
The HillDC judge orders new golf course hearing after Trump vows to push ahead with redevelopment
CBS NewsDOJ says government developing plan to close historic D.C. golf course after Trump orders
33%
Left · 3
56%
Center · 5
11%
Right · 1
Pano rates the coverage Balanced.
What happened
The Justice Department acknowledged that President Trump twice ordered East Potomac Golf Links closed by Nov. 15. Judge Ana Reyes ordered Stanley Woodward
Stanley WoodwardAmerican lawyer, a senior Justice Department official, to appear at a Friday or Monday hearing to reconcile the administration’s statements. The filing said InteriorDepartment of the InteriorU.S. federal executive department was developing a plan to carry out Trump’s direction. The dispute centers on Trump’s plan to close the public course for about 15 months and replace it with a Tom Fazio
Tom FazioAmerican golf course architect-designed championship course. Reyes’s injunction barred further tree damage and required 10 business days’ notice before other irreversible changes. Trump said the redesign would improve competitiveness, safety, modernization and aesthetics, and called the existing course dangerous. The Justice Department appealed, but did not explain why the injunction should be overturned.
How the left told it
Left-leaning outlets framed the filing as a credibility problem for Trump’s Justice Department and a broader fight over judicial limits on presidential power. Raw Story emphasized contradictions inside the administration and cast the appeal as an urgent effort to save the overhaul. AlterNet reached for the larger rule-of-law stakes, tying the dispute to presidential power.
How the right told it
Only one right-leaning outlet we track covered this: Just the News, under the headline “Judge orders new hearing in dispute over Trump's DC golf course project”.
East Potomac Golf Links Renovation
Part of the storyline · Storyline →- Oct 30Judge Orders D.C. Golf ProbeMostly Left
- Oct 29President Trump Warns East Potomac JudgeLeans Left
- Oct 28DOJ Acknowledges East Potomac Closure Orders (this story)Balanced
- Oct 27Judge Tightens East Potomac Renovation LimitsLeans Left
- Oct 20Judge Challenges DOJ Over East PotomacMostly Left
