A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to ensure a senior Interior Department official preserves his personal phone’s contents, marking a new development in an increasingly contentious legal battle over the president’s plans to overhaul a historic golf course in Washington, D.C. In a minute order, obtained by Newsweek, U.S. Reyes directed the government to ensure that Gregory Wischer, the Interior's deputy chief of staff for policy, had taken “appropriate steps” to preserve the contents of his phone.
Reyes also expanded an existing preservation requirement covering text messages related to the litigation to include “any material concerning the East Potomac Golf Course and this litigation.” The judge added that the order “should be broadly construed.” Wischer has played a central role in the administration's handling of the course. He testified during an October 19 hearing about the development of the tree-removal plan and the administration's proposed redesign, telling the hearing he had learned of President Donald Trump's announced November 15 closure date through the president's social media post. He also testified that a new golf-course design had been sent to his personal phone.
The preservation order does not specify that the phone itself must be surrendered to the court or that its contents must immediately be turned over to the plaintiffs. Its stated requirement is that the government ensure appropriate preservation steps have been taken. The ruling is the latest development in the dispute over Trump's proposed transformation of East Potomac Golf Links, a public course on federal land managed by the National Park Service.
The lawsuit challenges the administration's handling of tree removal and its compliance with federal environmental-review requirements. Reyes denied the plaintiffs' request to extend the temporary restraining order (TRO), which bars additional tree cutting through Monday, and denied without prejudice their motion to resume testimony. The motion notes the plaintiffs—the D.C.
Preservation League and local golfers Alex Dickson and Dave Roberts—may renew their request ahead of a permanent-injunction hearing, though Reyes has not announced a date for further proceedings or indicated whether she will grant longer-term relief. 2025: Interior Department Terminates Public Golf Course Operator's Lease The Interior Department terminated National Links Trust's lease to operate three public golf courses in Washington, including East Potomac Golf Links. The nonprofit continued operating East Potomac and Langston Golf Course under an interim arrangement. The move helped clear the way for the Trump administration to take control of the properties and fueled concerns among local golfers that the courses could be transformed in ways that would limit affordable public access.
February 13, 2026: Golfers and Preservation Group Sue Trump Administration The D.C. Preservation League and two frequent East Potomac golfers, Roberts and Dickson, sued the Interior and National Park Service in federal court. The lawsuit challenged the administration's broader plans for the course, alleging violations of federal environmental, historic-preservation and administrative-procedure requirements.
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