Judge gives sharpest warning yet of 'serious consequences' if Trump ignores court

A district judge on Monday "put the brakes" on President Donald Trump's effort to take over a Washington D.C., public golf course, giving the most stern warning yet of "serious consequences" if the administration refuses to comply.

Trump's broader obsession with remaking the nation's capital in his own image has crossed over with his golf obsession, as his administration has been attempting a federal takeover of the East Potomac Golf Course, a "popular public course," according to WUSA9 News, raising major alarms about a rumored "championship-style" makeover that local golfers fear would make the course too expensive for the working class.

On Monday, the National Links Trust, "a nonprofit that operates all three of D.C.'s public golf courses," expressed "shock" after word came that East Potomac would be shuttered ahead of the rumored changes." On Sunday, the D.C. Preservation League, a watchdog-style group, filed an emergency motion to halt the Trump administration from conducting any major work on the course aside from routine maintenance, which District Judge Ana Reyes granted in an emergency hearing the following morning.

According to WUSA9, Reyes "ordered the National Park Service to get court approval before cutting down more than 10 trees on the course," and further threatened "serious consequences" should her order be flouted in the administration's typical style.

“Given some issues around the District recently, I would have a particular concern that things not happen — that we not have a person ask forgiveness later. That’s not going to be acceptable,” Reyes said.

Speaking with the New York Times about the planned redesign of East Potomac, local golfers expressed sadness over the potential loss of a much-needed affordable option in an area that already has plenty of high-end options.

“It’ll be a real loss for a lot of people in the city,” Bryan King, a 68-year-old Virginia mural painter, told the outlet in a report published in February.

“There’s plenty of very expensive country clubs in this area already. This has always been kind of, like, the people’s course,” his son, Eamon King, added.