Fuming Trump Sends Unhinged Message to Judge in Golf Course Meltdown
The president claims a White House staffer was “hit violently” by a ball.

Luke Hales/Getty Images
Donald Trump has said he will hold a federal judge responsible if anyone is “hurt or killed” while playing golf at a historic course in Washington, D.C.
In a late-night meltdown on Truth Social, the 80-year-old president lashed out at U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, who is overseeing a legal challenge to halt renovations at East Potomac Golf Links, days after she blocked the Trump administration from carrying out any further work at the course without approval.
Trump hopes to turn the public golf course into an elite venue that could host championships such as the U.S. Open and the Ryder Cup. The administration has even ignored Reyes’ orders and continued with its plans, insisting that the course will close on November 15.
Trump has now claimed that renovation work at the “highly dangerous, dilapidated, and absolutely disgusting” course must continue because golf balls are flying through “gaping” holes in the driving range’s protective netting. The president claimed the wayward balls were hitting “unexpecting Golfers—including a White House staffer who was, sadly, hit violently in the chest,” without providing further details.

Donald Trump is focusing on renovating a golf course with the midterms less than a week away.
Truth Social/Donald Trump
“The driving range building itself is falling apart, and its structural stability is terrible. It should be closed immediately for safety reasons! The exposed nails and disintegrating wood also endanger young Golfers—Not a good situation!” Trump posted at 10:43 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
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“The driving range should NOT be a threat to life and limb. The current condition of the golf course is a National Disgrace, but we will make it a WORLD CLASS PUBLIC Golf Course that is AFFORDABLE for locals,” he added.
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“We will hold the judge, Ana C. Reyes, fully responsible for anybody who is hurt, or killed, on this very dangerous, dilapidated, and unsightly Golf Course.”

The president shared several images to back up his claim that the golf course is “dilapidated.”
Truth Social/Donald Trump
In addition to the Truth Social rant, which ran to more than 300 words, Trump posted photos showing the “deplorable” conditions inside the driving range building, including what he described as “excrement in the stairwell.”
Other photos show broken and damaged concrete pathways and sea walls, as well as ripped protective netting.
Reyes, who was nominated to the bench by President Joe Biden, has repeatedly criticized Trump and his administration for their attempts to push on with their work at East Potomac despite her orders.

Donald Trump’s planned redesign for East Potomac Golf Course.
Donald Trump/Truth Social
In a biting 70-page ruling on Monday, Reyes ordered the Trump administration to stop felling any more trees after the Interior Department ignored her earlier decision and cut down around 500 trees at the course without permission.
Reyes also demanded that the administration provide 10 days’ notice before making any further modifications to the course.
The president has frequently claimed the D.C. golf course is "extremely dangerous" to play on.
Umit Bektas/Umit Bektas
“The Court earlier stated, ‘I am not the Lorax. I do not speak for the trees.’ The Court still does not speak for the trees. It speaks only for the rule of law,” Reyes wrote, referring to the Dr. Seuss character.
Reyes also criticized the DOJ’s lawyers for claiming there were no renovation plans for the golf course, despite Trump’s insistence.
The Trump administration has cut down hundreds of trees to carry out the plans to transform East Potomac Golf Links.
Eric Lee/Reuters
“Rarely, if ever, has the United States Department of Justice urged a federal court not to believe the sitting President,” Reyes wrote.
Reyes previously lashed out at the Trump administration for ignoring her orders by felling hundreds of trees at the course. During a fiery court hearing earlier this month, the judge said the government had lost its “credibility” through its actions.
The administration is continuing to defy Reyes’ rulings. In court filings on Wednesday, the Department of Justice confirmed that the Interior Department would close part of East Potomac Park south of Buckeye Drive, including the golf course, for renovations “consistent with the president’s directive.”
The Trump administration said the work was necessary to repair a “deteriorated sea wall” that was “crumbling” into the Potomac River and constituted a “safety hazard in a state of significant disrepair.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
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