President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday that "restoration work will begin" on 15 November at East Potomac, a historic public golf course in Washington, and that it would reopen in about 15 months. He did not mention the lawsuit. US district judge Ana Reyes ordered the government to tell her by 8pm ET Sunday whether its Friday filing still stood: that, at most, Trump had given "preliminary thought" to a rebuild and that "there is no final agency action."

Reyes had already ruled earlier this year that the government must give notice before any substantive construction. Last week she halted tree removal, which she called "inexcusable." After a 9 October filing asking her to dismiss the case as premature, crews the next day removed about 500 trees. The administration said that was safety work under a 2019 plan that predates Trump's ambitions. Reyes stopped the cutting.

The 106-year-old park has been open to Washingtonians of different incomes. Opponents say a high-end course would change its character and price people out. The DC Preservation League sued in February, citing environmental law and a piece of history. Democracy Forward, for the plaintiffs, said it would defend the site from "unlawful and harmful intrusion."

Trump wrote that the Interior Department, under Doug Burgum, is working with architect Tom Fazio on a championship course, still public, able to host a US Open, PGA Championship, Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup. That is his announcement, not a federation booking. The White House did not immediately say whether the post conflicts with Reyes's orders.

On Friday the government moved to disqualify Reyes, a 2023 Biden appointee, alleging "antipathy" toward the administration. The plaintiffs oppose that. Reyes has also ordered key officials to testify about the tree-cutting. A social-media post does not lift a court order.

15 November is a date the president named, not a construction permit. On Sunday night Justice wrote that the plans remain preliminary and that there is no final agency action. Until a further order, the tree halt stands and substantive work still needs notice. The case is open. Intent on Truth Social is not law and not a judgment.

East Potomac remains, for now, a public course in litigation. The felled trees are a fact. The championship redesign is a contested plan. Anyone who starts work without notice faces Reyes, not a new green.

Image: Michael Barera, East Potomac Golf Links and the Washington Monument, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; the public course, not a November 2026 worksite.

Sources consulted: Trump says he will begin DC golf course restoration - The Guardian; Trump says he will close historic DC golf course for 15 months of renovations - AP News.