‘Ignorance is not an excuse’: Judge gives Trump lawyers furious earful in court
WASHINGTON, DC: During a court proceeding on Monday, Oct 12, President Donald Trump’s lawyers were sharply reprimanded by the Judge after the Interior Department removed trees at East Potomac Park in Washington, DC, without providing the court with adequate advance notice.
Notably, US District Judge Ana C. Reyes had previously ordered the government to inform the court about any such move.
Judge berates Trump lawyers for cutting down trees at park
US District Judge Ana C. Reyes reportedly berated the lawyers over the removal of trees from the public golf course at East Potomac Park without adequately informing the court in advance.
The judge also ordered a temporary halt to further tree removal in a portion of the park that Trump is eyeing for conversion into a championship-style golf course.
Notably, the details of the hearing came out through the reporting of Politico’s Kyle Cheney, as the audio of the proceeding is not allowed to be shared publicly.
“Judge Reyes is furious,” Cheney wrote on social media.
“She has repeatedly told the government to inform her before any major demolition work was done on the golf course,” Cheney wrote in an X post thread, apparently reporting the court.
HAPPENING NOW: Judge Reyes is furious. She has repeatedly told the government to inform her before any major demolition work was done on the golf course. The abrupt removal of 500 trees, without notice, "has cost the government all of its credibility" in this case.
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) October 12, 2026
Cheney further reported that the judge said the removal of approximately 500 trees at the public park “has cost the government all of its credibility” in the case.
Judge tells DOJ 'ignorance is not an excuse' after lawyers say they were unaware
“Ignorance is not an excuse,” Cheney quoted Reyes as telling the Department of Justice (DOJ) after government lawyers said they were unaware of the details of the tree-removal plan, despite having some indication that the work was imminent.
“I was hearing from everybody on plaintiffs’ side that this was going to happen. I said repeatedly no, I trust the government,” Cheney quoted Judge Reyes as telling the court.
REYES is yelling now. "Ignorance is not an excuse" she tells DOJ after they say they weren't aware of the details of the tree-cutting plan, despite having an inkling.
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) October 12, 2026
“I trusted you all not to do precisely what you have done. Not only does that make it inexcusable … I am just at a total loss to understand what has happened here, other than — Occam’s razor time — that the government precisely intended to do precisely what it has done, which is intentionally delay letting the plaintiffs and the court know what is happening so they can put a plan in place to clear hundreds and hundreds of trees,” Judge Reyes was further quoted.
Conservationists, including the D.C. Preservation League and several golfers, are suing the Trump administration to stop the tree demolition at the park.
Trump aspires to convert historic public golf course into exclusive venue
The case stems from President Donald Trump’s ambition to transform East Potomac Golf Links into an exclusive, championship-caliber golf course capable of hosting major professional tournaments.
The National Park Service (NPS) announced plans to remove up to 529 trees considered non-contributing to the historic landscape, and tree-clearing operations have begun.
