A federal judge appointed by President Joe Biden abruptly abandoned a demand aimed at Justice Department attorneys Monday, ending a courtroom standoff that stretched nearly seven hours. The dispute centered on hundreds of trees removed from the federally owned East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, D.C.

As Fox News reported, Judge Ana Reyes had demanded that department lawyers place their names alongside a Sunday filing signed by Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. Reyes invoked Rule 11, which requires attorneys to support the factual basis of court filings and permits sanctions for violations.

By the end of the hearing, however, the pressure campaign from the bench had fizzled. Reyes withdrew the demand entirely after first setting deadlines and modifying what she expected from the attorneys.

"Late breaking news," Reyes said. "I'm going to withdraw the request that DOJ refile yesterday's brief with identification of who signed it. We've all got better things to spend our time on."

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The about-face came hours after President Donald Trump called Reyes a "crazed lunatic" on Truth Social. The broader lawsuit concerns Trump’s plan to completely renovate East Potomac Golf Links into a "world-class, U.S. Open-caliber course."

The legal fight escalated after the National Park Service removed roughly 430 trees from the golf course over a weekend. The Interior Department said those removals were part of a plan developed years earlier to restore the course’s historic design and were unrelated to Trump’s proposed renovation.

Although the tree removal did not violate a court order, Reyes imposed a temporary restraining order blocking additional removals. She was also described as "screaming" at Trump administration attorneys during an Oct. 12 hearing.

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That hearing led Woodward to seek Reyes’ removal from the case. He accused her of bias and "open hostility" toward the Trump administration, while both Woodward and Trump called for the release of audio recordings from the proceedings.

"The judge on the case is a crazed lunatic whose courthouse tapes will reveal, may be insane? The tapes have been blocked from usage by the judge," Trump posted Monday before the hearing. He said his administration had a "right" to transform the property into a "great, safe, and prestigious" golf course.

"Work is scheduled to begin IMMEDIATELY! The finished product will be world-class and bring income and great prestige back to D.C.," Trump added.

JUST IN: President Trump tells Biden-appointed Judge Ana Reyes to SHOVE IT, he’s starting construction IMMEDIATELY on the DC golf course

47 calls her a "crazed lunatic" for blocking his renovation of D.C.'s East Potomac Golf Course "The United States Department of Interior wants to take a terrible and very unsafe golf course, and make it into a great, safe, and prestigious golf course. They have an absolute right to do so. It's as simple as that! The judge on the case is a crazed lunatic whose courthouse tapes will reveal, may be insane?” “The tapes have been blocked from usage by the judge. The random golfer bringing the ridiculous lawsuit has ZERO STANDING! The experts at "Interior" are allowed to do this First Class renovation "as of right." They do not need an approval. Work is scheduled to begin IMMEDIATELY!” “The finished product will be World Class, and bring income and great prestige back to D.C. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DJT" On Oct 13, Reyes froze all work on the course through Oct 26, after Interior cleared about 430 trees She ruled that two plaintiffs who regularly golf there have “standing” Reyes has ordered top Interior and Park Service officials to testify at a hearing — RightLine (@RightLineNews) October 19, 2026

Trump made two other posts Sunday saying Interior Department Secretary Doug Burgum and architect Tom Fazio had "developed a plan" to turn East Potomac Golf Links into a "World Class Championship Golf Course." He also said work would begin November 15.

Those posts prompted Reyes to order the Justice Department to file a response by 8 p.m. She said Trump’s characterization conflicted with an earlier filing stating that there was "no agency action" involving his golf course plan.

Woodward alone signed the resulting filing, making that decision an immediate point of contention Monday. Reyes ordered attorneys to "raise your hand" if they would sign the briefing, but Woodward answered that it was "not an appropriate request."

Reyes then invoked Rule 11 and ordered the attorneys to approach the podium and sign the filing. They refused, leading Reyes to set an initial 3 p.m. deadline before extending it until noon Tuesday and offering to place their names on the brief without requiring signatures.

The judge ultimately scrapped the demand. Former federal prosecutor Abhishek Kambli wrote that senior Justice Department appointees sometimes sign contentious filings so criticism is directed toward leadership instead of junior attorneys, adding that such a decision should not be something a judge investigates.

Rachel Boulvard, vice president of programs at the Conservative Partnership Institute, argued that department attorneys increasingly avoid signing briefs because Democrats target their bar licenses. She said those attorneys are carrying out work on behalf of the department.

Reyes, whom Biden appointed in 2023, previously faced a Justice Department judicial misconduct complaint over litigation challenging Trump’s restrictions on transgender individuals serving in the military.

During a February 2025 hearing, she questioned an administration attorney about what Jesus Christ would say regarding policies excluding transgender people from homeless shelters.

Former DOJ Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle accused Reyes of "hostile and egregious misconduct" and possible bias in a complaint filed with the D.C. Circuit. The complaint was dismissed after the circuit’s chief judge concluded that a recusal motion was the proper method for challenging Reyes’ conduct.

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