Background: Washington, D.C. – Oct. 12: View of East Potomac Golf Links as a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to stop cutting down trees at Washington, D.C.'s East Potomac Golf Links, Oct. 12, 2026. (mpi34/mediaPunch /IPX). Inset left: U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in June 2022 during her confirmation hearings (Sen. Dick Durbin/YouTube). Inset right: President Donald Trump speaks in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in Washington (AP Photo/Alex Brandon).
A clearly exasperated federal judge presiding over the East Potomac Park Golf Links lawsuit began her grilling of the No. 3 official at the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday by reminding him of his "duty of candor to the tribunal."
After U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes read Rule 3.3 to Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward's face in court, he wouldn't go down the road of "opining" on what President Donald Trump meant on social media when he said the golf course "will be closed" on Nov. 15.
The Joe Biden-appointed judge called the hearing and ordered Woodward to explain how his earlier assurances that there was no "plan" can be "reconciled" with mass tree removal and Trump's statement that the course will close Nov. 15.
And so, Reyes asked, "Mr. Woodward, when was there a plan first to close the golf course on November 15th?"
"The plan was concluded on," Woodward began to answer before a long pause. "The plan was completed with the submission of our notice on October 28. When the president truthed on October 18th, that the golf course should be closed on — "
"He did not say should be," Reyes interjected. "So don't we start putting words in the president's mouth."
"Agreed," Woodward said flatly.
"So let's not play games anymore, Mr. Woodward. We played games on October 19th with words, and we're not doing it today," Reyes said. "If you want to quote precisely what the president said on October 18th, by all means. But he did not — he did not say should be. He did not say he wants. He did not say he hopes. He did not say maybe one day with the stars aligned. He said it will be closed on November 15th. Fair?"
"Your Honor, I don't want to —" Woodward started to say.
"You and I agree that, as a matter of grammar and the common usage of the English language, that that is saying that the course will be closed on November 15th?" the judge asked.
"Yes, your honor," Woodward said.
Then Reyes turned to Trump's Truth Social post on Oct. 26, when he said the golf course would close "as scheduled" on Nov. 15.
"As scheduled is a past participle, which means a verb form that expresses a completed action or condition," the judge observed.
"You're telling me, as the third highest ranking official at DOJ, to not believe what the president said on October 18th, and not to believe him on October 26th when he said as scheduled, referring, of course, to a past action — October 18 — and you are saying to me, 'Do not believe the president,'" Reyes stated.
Then-defense attorney Stanley Woodward, who was representing Walt Nauta, a valet to former President Donald Trump, arrives at the Alto Lee Adams Sr. U.S. Courthouse for a pretrial conference to discuss procedures for handling classified information, Tuesday, July 18, 2023, in Fort Pierce, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File).
"Certainly I didn't utter those words," Woodward shot back. "I take issue with us hypothesizing about what the president is referring to."
That set Reyes off.
"I'm not hypothesizing. I'm reading what he wrote," she said. "I mean, it's not like I have tea leaves over here, and I'm like, gosh, I wonder what the president thought. He's telling us."
She pressed Woodward to "tell me what you're saying."
The government lawyer then confirmed he heard Reyes' warning at the start of the hearing.
"Your Honor, you're reading for me the bar rules and then putting words in my mouth about — " Woodward said, before he was cut off.
"I haven't put a single word in your mouth. I have asked you questions, and if you don't agree with the question, you can say, 'You know what, Your Honor, that's not what I meant.' So let's not pretend that I'm the one who's putting words in your mouth," Reyes said.
"What did the president mean when he said on October 18 the course will close on November 15?" she followed up.
"I don't know what the president meant, and if I did, I couldn't talk about that," Woodward said, stating that would be covered by executive privilege.
"We're not on TV," Woodward continued. "I'm not a pundit opining about the president's words, as you've reminded me multiple times, I'm the number three ranking official at the department.
"It would be improper of me to explain my view or my beliefs or my interpretation of the president's actions," he added. "That is what executive privilege is."
"Okay, that is quite an extraordinary view of executive privilege, but we'll leave it there for now," Reyes responded.
Reyes recently issued an injunction to block mass tree removal at the golf course, which the president vowed to "immediately appeal" and has noticed an appeal to the D.C. Circuit.
The president has claimed that the "Washington National Plan" is "totally 'as of right'" and "must begin, immediately, if it is to be completed in a timely and seasonal manner."
The hearing recessed for a brief break before continuing into the afternoon. Reyes repeatedly stressed she had "all day."
A short time later, the judge reportedly said she would appoint a special master to probe the DOJ and Department of Interior's representations to her.