Judge Reyes requested that the government inform the court before cutting down more than 10 trees in East Potomac Park.
Posted by The Lawfare Podcast, Checked
- Sources
- 3 support1 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 60%
The Lawfare PodcastSep 14, 2026
NewsNation reports that Judge Reyes told DOJ lawyers in May that they must give advance notice of plans to cut more than 10 trees, which matches the claim's core. That source says the notice went to the preservation group rather than the court, a detail the claim does not match exactly, and only one source directly addresses the 10-tree threshold.
What was said
… So, yeah, I will see if far, But so, so then they come to this hearing, and right before the hearing, the plaintiffs have filed these declarations saying, hey, they're cutting down trees. And it's sort of this weird situation because Judge Reyes actually said that she wouldn't issue a formal order telling the government that they couldn't do any of this stuff. She just wanted them to inform the court before they cut down more than, she said, oh, let's say, 10 trees. And this is more than 10 trees. They've cut down about, now they say 100. They said in the hearing 150 trees, 77 of which were invasive and 77 of which were dead, dying, or hazardous. So I guess that makes 144, not 150. …
The Lawfare Podcast · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. NewsNation reports Judge Reyes told DOJ lawyers in May they must provide advance notice of any plans to cut down more than 10 trees.[3]
Supports. Later orders from Reyes required the government to give advance written notice before closing the course or making irreversible changes, consistent with a court-supervised notice regime.[2][4]
Context. Coverage of the October tree-cutting describes the government removing hundreds of trees, far beyond the 10-tree threshold, which is why the notice requirement became a dispute.[1][3]
Sources
4 sources: 1 fact-checker, 1 tier 2, 2 not rated
- 1Judge orders halt to work on historic DC golf course until ...apnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 2Judge Temporarily Blocks Further Alterations at DC's East Potomac Parknytimes.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports
- 3Federal judge admonishes Trump administration over East ...newsnationnow.com · not rated · cited for: supports, context
- 4Judge blocks D.C. golf course tree removal, orders government ...ms.now · not rated · cited for: supports
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
- The Trump administration moved to cut down over 400 trees at a public golf course in Washington D.C. without notifying the court.Mixed
- Judge Chutkan issued an order requiring 48 hours' notice before the government conducts any work beyond preliminary archaeological excavation.True
- The government reported cutting down 150 trees in East Potomac Park, of which 77 were invasive and 77 were dead, dying, or hazardous.Mixed
- The National Park Service cut down trees on and around the East Potomac golf course.True
- In the case Lemon versus Trump, Judge Chutkin previously issued a consent agreement requiring 14 days' notice before moving forward with the Great Triumphal Arch.True