The DC Preservation League filed a formal notice alerting U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes that President Trump had attacked her on social media before her Monday hearing.
The East Potomac Golf Course case drew fresh attention after Trump spent his predawn hours posting about the judge presiding over the matter.
Trump described Judge Reyes as “a crazed lunatic whose courthouse tapes will reveal, may be insane?” in his early morning social media post.
The question mark at the end of that statement was included by Trump himself, making the attack all the more unusual in its construction.
The notice was filed before Judge Reyes had even taken the bench, meaning the courtroom was already aware of the presidential broadside before proceedings began.
Journalist Adam Klasfeld captured the moment, writing that “a preservation group just alerted Judge Reyes that Trump just attacked her on social media right before today’s hearing in the East Potomac Golf Course case.”
Klasfeld noted that the situation represented something that “should be unthinkable, and in 2026 is just a Monday,” reflecting a broader normalisation of presidential attacks on the judiciary.
The DC Preservation League, one of the plaintiffs in the golf course dispute, took the step of formally placing the social media post on the court’s record before arguments began.
The move ensured Judge Reyes and all parties in the courtroom were officially informed of the presidential commentary prior to any substantive legal proceedings taking place.
Presidential attacks on sitting federal judges have become an increasingly prominent feature of legal battles involving the administration, with courts across the country now regularly facing public pressure campaigns tied to high-profile cases.
The East Potomac Golf Course case itself centres on preservation concerns, with the DC Preservation League among those contesting decisions related to the historic site along the Washington waterfront.
Monday’s hearing proceeded against this charged backdrop, with the extraordinary pre-hearing filing ensuring that the record would reflect the nature of the political environment surrounding the case.