A federal judge has temporarily restricted the Trump administration from making major changes to East Potomac Park, putting the brakes on President Donald Trump’s plan to transform the public golf course while a legal challenge moves forward. In a 70-page ruling issued Monday, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes ordered the government not to cut down, substantially prune or otherwise damage trees at the park without court approval. She also required at least 10 business days’ written notice before the government closes any part of the park or makes an irreversible modification there. Trump said on Truth Social that the Interior Department would appeal. He has said construction will start Nov. 15 and that the park will close for 15 months. The ruling does not end the dispute, but it limits what the government can do without further notice or court authorization as the case continues. The legal fight intensified after the government removed 430 trees from the golf course with less than a day’s notice. Administration officials told the court the clearing was tied to vegetation recommendations from a 2019 National Park Service report, not a renovation plan. Reyes called that explanation “pretextual” and said the government had not offered a compelling factual rebuttal. The judge also pointed to a gap between Trump’s public statements and sworn testimony from administration officials. Trump had posted that work would begin “immediately,” while officials told the court they knew of no finalized renovation plan. Reyes concluded that a plan existed before Oct. 15, despite the government’s denials. The plaintiffs—the D.C. Preservation League and two local golfers—argue that the government is breaking a larger overhaul into smaller actions to avoid required environmental review. Reyes said the Interior Department likely violated the National Environmental Policy Act by improperly separating review of the plan’s effects. Major renovations may also require federal environmental and historic-preservation reviews, officials acknowledged at an earlier hearing. Trump has promoted a championship-level course that could host events such as the PGA Championship and Ryder Cup, while saying D.C. residents would receive reduced rates. A rendering he shared appears to combine the park’s three courses into one, raising questions about continued access to the perimeter road used by runners and cyclists and the future affordability of the municipal course. East Potomac Park is a widely used recreational area on a peninsula in the nation’s capital. The ruling’s notice requirements and limits on tree work give park users and the plaintiffs time to challenge the project before further irreversible changes occur. “The Court still does not speak for the trees,” Reyes wrote. “It speaks only for the rule of law.”