At East Potomac Park, several residents bemoaned a plan to revamp the federal property that might wipe out features they have cherished for years.

© Andrew Leyden for The New York Times

Judge orders government to notify her by 8pm ET Sunday whether its position changed from Friday’s court filing

Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Sunday that “restoration work will begin” on 15 November to a historic public golf course in Washington DC despite a federal judge’s court order to pause his plans over environmental and historic preservation concerns.

US district judge Ana Reyes had ruled earlier this year that the federal government must give notice before any substantive construction work on the East Potomac golf course could proceed, and last week issued an order halting the removal of trees at the site, which she called “inexcusable”.

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© Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

© Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

© Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

The plan to begin work transforming the course in four weeks injected fresh urgency into a federal lawsuit opposing changes to East Potomac Golf Links.

© Andrew Leyden for The New York Times

In attempting to turn a public space in DC into an enclave for elites, Trump is moving the US capital closer to Graceland

When is a tree not a tree? When it’s an obstacle to a par-3. If a tree falls in the middle of a golf course, does it make a sound? Yeah, probably. I wasn’t there, but I have to assume, based on my limited knowledge of the laws of physics.

What I do know is that Donald Trump’s crusade to clear more than 400 trees for the purposes of redeveloping East Potomac Golf Links into a championship-level course isn’t happening. For now.

Dave Schilling is a Los Angeles-based writer and humorist

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© Photograph: Giorgio Viera/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Giorgio Viera/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Giorgio Viera/AFP/Getty Images

Escalating a standoff with Judge Ana C. Reyes, the Justice Department demanded that she recuse herself from a case in which she had ordered several Trump officials to testify.

© Andrew Leyden for The New York Times

District judge Ana Reyes halts tree-cutting at the East Potomac golf course until 26 October, and now requires advance notice before making course changes

US district judge Ana Reyes on Tuesday ordered a halt to tree-cutting at the East Potomac golf course until 26 October, putting a further pause on work at the historic Washington DC course that has been part of Donald Trump’s plans to remake the country’’s capital city.

Reyes issued the order one day after a tense three-hour hearing in which she harshly criticized the government for having deceived her with its actions over the holiday weekend.

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© Photograph: Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images

© Photograph: Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images

© Photograph: Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images

The ruling barred major modifications at the D.C. course while a federal judge seeks testimony from Interior Department officials about whether they ignored a court order.

© Kenny Holston/The New York Times

During a four-hour hearing, a federal judge demanded answers from the Trump administration about who authorized the removal of hundreds of trees at the East Potomac Golf Links.

© Andrew Leyden for The New York Times

The National Park Service notified a court of the plan as part of continuing litigation over the president’s proposal to create a “champion-level” course.

© Andrew Leyden for The New York Times