The Trump administration has asked a federal judge to recuse herself from a legal battle over the cutting of hundreds of trees at a historic Washington, D.C., golf course, accusing her of belittling government lawyers and unfairly questioning their intelligence.
In a filing Friday, the Justice Department argued that U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes should be disqualified from the case involving East Potomac Golf Links, where the administration's tree-removal operation prompted a contentious court hearing and an order temporarily halting further cutting.
"Judge Reyes's behavior in this case is nothing short of egregious," the administration said in the filing.
The Justice Department accused Reyes of having "repeatedly belittled and shouted at" the attorney representing the United States during an October 12 hearing and of having "unfairly questioned Trump Administration attorneys' intelligence." It also alleged that she allowed her "disdain for the Trump Administration to influence how hearings unfold" and disregarded separation-of-powers principles.
The DOJ pointed to Reyes telling government counsel: “If you don’t understand the relevance of the questions we’re asking, the government has a much bigger problem than I understood it to have.” The department noted in its filing that the attorney is deputy chief of its Natural Resources Section and described her as an expert in the issues before the court.
Democracy Forward Foundation, which represents the plaintiffs, told Newsweek it had no additional comment on the government’s filing. A Department of the Interior spokesperson referred Newsweek to the Justice Department for comment. Newsweek also reached out to the National Park Service on Saturday.
Why the DOJ Wants Judge Ana Reyes Removed
The case, D.C. Preservation League v. Department of Interior, was filed in February and is being heard in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The plaintiffs, the D.C. Preservation League and two local residents, oppose the effort to remove Reyes from the case, saying in a court filing that they were “aware of no basis for disqualification or recusal.”
The Justice Department argues Reyes's conduct at the October 12 hearing was part of a broader pattern of mistreatment of government attorneys. Its motion also cited her conduct in other high-profile litigation involving the Trump administration as evidence of what it characterized as a “pattern of animus.”
Reyes was nominated by former President Joe Biden in 2022 and confirmed by the Senate in 2023.
The DOJ's motion also pointed to a previous judicial misconduct complaint against Reyes stemming from separate litigation challenging Trump's military policy.
What Sparked Judge Ana Reyes' Clash With Trump Officials
The latest dispute stems from the administration's removal of hundreds of trees at East Potomac Golf Links, a historic public course that Trump has sought to remake.
Reyes sharply confronted government attorneys during the October 12 hearing.
The government did not notify the court until 4:55 p.m. on October 9, when it said the National Park Service planned to remove “up to 529 trees.” Work began the next morning, and about 430 healthy, non-invasive trees were removed, according to Reyes’ October 13 opinion. Reyes wrote that the government would have removed hundreds more but for a rain delay.
Reyes told government attorneys that the episode had "cost the government all of its credibility" in the case, adding: "I trusted you all not to do precisely what you have done."
When a government lawyer said officials had done their best to gather information about the tree cutting, Reyes responded: “No, you did not do your best. You did your absolute worst.” The DOJ itself quotes that remark in its recusal motion.
Reyes subsequently extended an order barring further tree removal through October 26.
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East Potomac Golf Links Tree Removal Battle
The broader lawsuit concerns the administration's plans for East Potomac Golf Links and whether the government complied with federal requirements while pursuing changes at the public course.
The administration has maintained that the recent tree cutting stems from a 2019 National Park Service landscape plan rather than Trump's proposed redesign of the course. An Interior Department spokesperson previously told Newsweek that the work was intended to address tree overgrowth and restore the course's historic character.
The plaintiffs dispute that characterization. In granting their request for a temporary restraining order, Reyes concluded that they had shown a likelihood of success on their claim that the National Park Service failed to comply with federal environmental-review requirements before carrying out the tree-removal plan.
Reyes summarized the circumstances sharply: “Breakneck speed to clear trees that posed no harm. The reason? Disputed. The budget? Unclear. The environmental impact? Unstudied. The urgency? None. Next steps: bulldoze hundreds more.”
Trump DOJ Escalates Fight With Federal Judge
The DOJ's recusal motion also objects to Reyes's decision to require senior administration officials to testify as she seeks answers about how the tree-removal operation was authorized.
Reyes ordered Gregory Wischer, the Interior secretary's deputy chief of staff for policy, and Jessica Bowron, acting director of the National Park Service, to appear at an October 19 hearing and be prepared to testify under oath. The DOJ argues that compelling high-ranking executive officials to testify without demonstrating a sufficient need disregards separation-of-powers principles.
The filing represents a striking reversal in the courtroom confrontation: after Reyes accused the government of destroying its credibility over the tree-removal operation, the DOJ is now accusing Reyes of “open hostility” and arguing that her own conduct has compromised her ability to continue overseeing the case.