Cheryl Binkley

You saw the trees get cut down Saturday. Here's what you didn't see. A political appointee gave the order at a closed-door October 5 meeting. NPS Deputy Director of Operations Frank Lands testified he was told by Greg Wischer, Interior's deputy chief of staff, to clear the trees as soon as "practicable." Crews moved over the holiday weekend, less than 24 hours after Friday's formal notice. The judge isn't buying it. She said the real plan is being "developed outside of the agency, either through the White House or through private individuals coordinating with people at the White House." Here's who those "private individuals" are: • Tom Fazio is the designer Trump wants to redesign the course and build toward a Ryder Cup. Fazio Golf Design already has a signed agreement with the admin. • Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, a Massachusetts engineering firm, quietly got a $389,355 contract for compliance work. Rep. Jared Huffman says it was awarded "without any public announcement or notice to Congress." • A $49M construction contract is already posted as a govt forecast, bidding set to open 1/31/27. No company's been awarded it yet, but the price tag shows how big this project is. The course didn't just become available. For years, National Links Trust (NLT), a nonprofit, ran it and kept it affordable. The admin was already dumping WH East Wing demolition debris there before Interior even took the lease back. A week later, Interior claimed NLT had defaulted (NLT disputes that) and canceled the lease 12/30. NLT has hired Williams & Connolly to fight it. Friday at 4:55 p.m., NPS gave notice: 169 trees, Saturday — 16 times the judge's 10-tree limit. Lawyers later confirmed 430 were felled. That's what Trump wants to turn into a "world-class" championship venue. Burgum claims it'll stay "affordable, highly discounted." Nobody buys that. A lawsuit argues this violates the 1897 law that created the park "for the recreation and the pleasure of the people" — meaning this may not just be unpopular. It may be illegal. Reyes held a four-hour hearing, furious, and said the govt had lost all credibility. Reyes has barred further cutting and is forcing DOJ to give three days' notice before touching this course again. Good. Not enough, but something. #DemsUnited